Phasmatis Ex Machina
by The Fox Knight
Summary: What do you wish for? Wealth? Glory? Power? Love? Keep in mind that a price is required. When a young girl is asked what she wishes for, her answer is simple; "I want to live." The price for that wish is to win the Holy Grail War.
1. Ortus (Beginning)

**This is a rewrite from my original story.**

**I own nothing. Everything belongs to Type-Moon.**

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><p><strong><em>What you see here, is your false home.<em>**

**_What you see there, is a blank look._**

**_What I see, is sadness repeating._**

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><p><strong>Morning<strong>

I always awaken very abruptly. I don't even think I dream. I suddenly find myself walking to school. My headache worsens day by day, until it finally buzzes in my head like an alarm. That day. In potent numbness, I wake up twice as fast as normal.

I walk to the schoolyard. It's clear and cloudless, 7:30 A.M. But… what season is it…? When I try to recall what season it is, I start to get so dizzy I almost pass out. I may wind up back in bed if I let go and faint. For some time, I have been embracing a rush of useless information. The normal stuff you'd see at a school, like the hustle and bustle of my classmates by the entrance.

It hasn't changed.

It hasn't changed.

When I push the thought, my field of vision fizzles.

Today/**Again today**, there's a crowd of students milling in front of the school gate, and more are being directed that way. As to what's going on, there's a boy in front of the school gate. He's my friend/**as a recall.** He's Issei Ryuudo/**as I recall.** I remember this the first time.

When Issei notices me looking at him, he pushes through the crowd. "Good morning! Lovely weather we're having, don't you think? Hmm? Why do you look so surprised? We announced at last week's assembly that this month the student council would strictly enforce school rules." He runs through his spiel, as if this was the first time he'd ever disclosed the information.

I already know this.

I know it.

I already know what happens.

It's happened more than once.

I'm seized by a headache. I'm so dizzy I feel like I'm forcibly logged out of my consciousness.

Issei continued speaking, "First, let me check your student ID. I shouldn't have to remind you, but it should be on you at all times." My log-in ID is being checked. It's so obvious now. I answer clearly to the question that usually makes me so dizzy.

**Name:** Ailita Furude

**Age:** 17

**Gender:** Female

**Nickname:** Lita

Issei looks over my ID. "Great. There's no telling when an emergency might occur, and it will be a help if you have your ID."

I feel nauseous, and I know it has nothing to do with what I ate for breakfast this morning. I feel nauseous because of the world around me. Its repeating itself over and over, and that's making me sick.

"Now for the uniform inspection. Collar, check! Pant hems, check! And your socks… check!"

I want him to get out of my way. I want this repetition to stop. I push Issei aside without even waiting for him to finish speaking, and rush forward. I'm not nice about it either.

"Next is the contents of your bag… Notebooks, textbooks, pencil box! Not even a whiff of contraband. Your nails are evenly cut, and your haircut is sensible. Indeed, quite remarkable. You're a model Tsukumihara Academy student." He keeps on talking loudly, even though he's facing no one. It's like he's just a recording.

I have a headache. I'm shivering. I know one thing for sure. This is wrong. This is not the school I know! It can't be! I have to go. I have to hurry and wake up. Or else it will be too late. But, who am I… waking up for…?

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><p><strong>Evening<strong>

Class is over and most of the students are gone. My anxiety and headaches are only getting worse. Afternoon arrives while I desperately try to find a way to escape this bizarre situation. As is now the norm, my vision is overlaid with some kind of unnatural distortion.

Uneasiness.

Futility.

Emptiness.

I want someone to explain to me the true nature behind all of these feelings. There must be a key somewhere. Something that will have the answers to all of my questions.

Since I didn't even know where to start looking, I randomly decided to go downstairs. The moment I step foot on the first floor, my feelings of unease intensify. There is a student wearing a red uniform. Leo, the new transfer student. The instant I lay eyes on him, I immediately feel intimidated and humiliated. There is also someone trailing behind him. It looks like… one of my classmates… I think. The more I think, the more I realize that Leo isn't the only anomaly I've come across while on campus. There are other things that seem… off… as well.

It's becoming clearer now. There are people who shouldn't exist. Students that mysteriously vanish. The fabric of reality is coming unraveled.

Don't turn away now.

What is the 'truth'?"

Don't turn away now.

What defines the world you know?

Don't turn away now.

There is a reason why you're here.

Come. Do not allow yourself to close your eyes to the truth.

Out of curiosity I follow the two boys down the hall. Leo and one of the guys from my class are talking in the hallway up head. I try to stay out of sight and hide behind a corner.

Leo starts talking, although it's hard to tell if he's talking to anyone in particular. "The attention to detail is quite impressive. Even the surrounding air is surprisingly substantial. If that is the case, this world is in some ways more real than the real world it represents. How about you guys? What are your thoughts on this?" You guys? For a moment it feels as if he is including me in his comment. However, Leo begins speaking to my classmate, seemingly oblivious to my presence.

"Greetings. I believe this is the first time we've had an actual conversation." Leo gives a smile with no hostility. However, I have the suspicion that there is something malicious behind his smile. "Attending school wasn't half bad. I've never had the opportunity to go to one before now. In that respect, this has been quite an interesting experience… However, the time for fun has come to an end. I did not come here to play at being a student. No matter how enjoyable the detour, eventually one must return to their appointed path. And for me, the time to do so has arrived…"

With those final words, Leo turns his back on me. "Farwell. No, that's not quite right. I don't think farewell would be accurate in this situation. For reasons I cannot explain, I have the distinct feeling that we will see each other again. So I guess I should use the more congenial, 'See you later.' Well, it's time for me to move on. I wish you the best of luck."

Leo said as much, even going so far as to look in my direction… For some inexplicable reason, I'm not surprised that Leo know I was spying on him. I am trying to get things straightened out in my head when Leo suddenly… disappears. The student who was following him also disappears after touching the same spot on the wall. At the same moment he vanishes, my vision distorts and the shock threatens to overwhelm me.

What is going on here…? I wonder if this place is the source of my unease…

I come out of my hiding spot around the corner and like the two boys that disappeared, I place my hand on the wall, expecting to be drawn in. I see now that the way to the truth, to why I have these feelings, begins right here…

After touching the wall, the atmosphere changes. There's a doorway, an entrance where the concrete wall used to be. It's not something of this world. There's no doubt this door leads to someplace unfathomable. I bid farewell to the false world, and take my first step towards the truth.

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><p>An entrance to another world. Beyond that door, the previous statement perfectly describes the view before me. Walking behind me is a strange silent attendant. It looks like one of those featureless models from art class.<p>

It is to be my sword and shield for what lies ahead… A disembodied voice suddenly confirms my thoughts. Although I have yet to learn anything, I need to do something besides stand here. At the very least, there might be some clues to this bizarre experience up ahead.

I have no choice but to head into the darkness with only this strange doll as protection.

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><p><strong>AN:**

**The poll that will determine which Servant the protagonist will get is still on my profile. If anyone wants a say on the Servant for the story then vote. PM me if you have a different idea other than the choices that are listed.**

**I also won't post until I get a certain amount of votes.**


	2. Stantia (Contract)

**A/N: The results are in and the Servant has been decided.**

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><p>After walking for what seemed like forever, I came upon an area that was no longer a typical school campus. The walls and floors, the air, even the aura is slightly off.<p>

It kind of reminds me of a video game. It wouldn't surprise me to see a monster pop out from the shadows.

_Welcome potential Master._

With a shocking suddenness, a voice begins speaking. It sounds like its coming from the empty sky above.

_If you are looking for answers, you must reach the goal. Now, please step forward._

I followed the voices instructions and proceeded forward. Along the way, I fought enemy programs that I was able to defeat with the help of my effigy. At one point, I acquired something called an Ether Shard. It's supposed to have the ability to heal injuries. However, it's limited to healing only my effigie's injuries.

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><p>After a while, I proceeded to the final room.<p>

I made it. At the end of a very long road, after going through a door that suddenly appeared in the wall… the oppressive air of this place where the spirits of the dead still linger. Here's my goal. That's what I thought. Before me stood three giant stain glass windows that looked like they belonged in a cathedral, or an old-style building.

Further in, it appears as if someone has collapsed. When I get a closer look at his face. I realize that it's the student that was following Leo before! I call out to him, but get no reply. I shake him in an attempt to wake him up when I notice… he's stone cold. I go as pale as the corpse before me, and I can no longer think coherently. All I can do is stare in bewilderment.

It is at this moment, the fallen effigy lying next to the male student comes to its feet with a clatter. After having to fight several enemy programs to get here, it's obvious that this thing is an enemy as well. Without warning, it suddenly twists around and comes right at me!

My effigy rushes to my defense and blocks the first strike aimed for my head. The two dolls seem completely identical in appearance, so they should be equal in strength shouldn't they? The battle wasn't anything for the history books that's for sure. The two simply exchange blows and blocking attacks, and neither side was taking any real damage. It seems as though this battle will either go on forever or end in a draw. However, mine is suddenly overpowered and skewered through the chest.

As my effigy fell, it felt almost as if my own body had taken the attack. My body fell to the ground along with my broken doll.

_…__Hmph, you seem to be lacking as well._

I can hear the sound of a distant voice...

_The time has come. With your inevitable loss, I will consider this round of the preliminaries to be over. Farewell. I pray you'll find peace in your annihilation._

That is the voice's final words to me. I don't have the power to protest. All I can do is stare at the floor… I'm going to die here. Suddenly, at the edge of my now hazy vision, a number of brown colored lumps seem to rise from the ground. Actually it might be that I just noticed them now. They may have been there from the beginning for all I know. Those lumps are the bodies of an untold number of fallen Tsukumihara Academy students.

The guy before me wasn't the only one to fall. All of the others made it here and died, unable to do anything… And in a very short while, I suppose I'll become one of them.

Maybe I should just close my eyes now. I did all that I could, so maybe it'd be better for it to end now. However, I refuse to give up… I summon all off my strength in an attempt to get back on my feet. However, as I try to move, an unbearably intense pain shoots through my entire body. If that's how it's going to be… No, if this is…

I still refuse to give up! I can't give up now! Even if I'm forced to concede defeat eventually, it'd be unforgivable to do so now… I feel as if something's wrong. All of my senses grow faint. The pain running through my body has long passed my ability to endure it. I now know how the damned suffer.

Even so, I have stand up.

**I want to live**

The drive to go on is something I do not understand. It's not like the fear of death is urging me not to give up. I just want to be at peace. Keeping that in mind, why am I trying with all of my might to get back on my feet? I can't figure out the reason why. I don't know why my life needs to be ended. Why am I here…?

Another wave of pain shot through me. I understand now. That must be the reason why.

There were those many corpses. There were those many questions. I can't continue without knowing. No. Now that my spirit has been awakened, I can't allow things to come to an end without knowing!

_Hmm... As a representative of the Holy Grail, I can hardly ignore such overpowering doubt. You question your own existence even as it comes to an end, and see your own shortcomings as death approaches. Very well. I expect much from that spirit of yours. There is a Servant left that fits a human like you. A Legendary Soul that will protect the life that you so desperately wish to preserve. I look forward to your valiant efforts in battle._

The sound of shattering glass is accompanied by a light cutting through the gloom. I manage to move my weary body and aching head to see what's happening. All but one of the three stain glass window are gone. I didn't notice it before, but something was slowly rising up from the floor in the middle of the room.

Its form isn't much different from that of a human being with its back turned to me, but something was different. Clearly so, and it wasn't because it was covered with black armor. The power emanating from it transcended that of any human, or of any enemy I've faced in getting here. An incredible power that seems as if it'd vaporize anyone it touched swirls within my body almost against my will.

The dark figure before me turned around and spoke for the first time. "I have come in response to being summoned. Let me ask you, young lady, are you my Master?" The voice was deep, yet at the same time smooth.

All I could do is dumbly nod yes in response to his question.

"Very well then. My Master." He kneels down on one knee and bows his head. Like a knight. "From this day on, I shall be your sword, and protect you from any and all enemies."

I start to take in the appearance of the strange being before me. He appeared to be a robust man fully clad in pitch-black armor and a rustic helmet with a thinly carved slit displaying the ghastly glow of red. That wasn't the part that stood out to me though. The part that stood out to me was that there appeared to be some sort of black smoke or fog surrounding his body. Because of this, the identifying marks of his armor are hidden, only revealing the fact that he is fully clad in armor without any opening. It shows no ornaments or polished luster. Blurring the characteristic features and clues on the lineage of the maker, it makes him look like a phantom, a bottomless black darkness from the shadows. While his appearance was intimidating, I somehow knew instinctively that he would not cause me any harm.

He offers me his armor clad hand to help me to my feet. When I accept his help, from the hand he touches comes a sudden warmth… and then a sharp pain, as if I've been cut by a knife. On the back of my hand, as though tattooed, is a strange, blood-red symbol that looks like some kind of crest. Totally confused, I alternate between staring at the mark on my hand, and the person standing before me.

A noise behind me brings me back to my senses. Turning around, I see that the effigy from before is still there, now in a fighting stance. I wince uncontrollably, recalling my previous defeat at its hands.

Before I knew it, the black figure who called me Master stood between me and the effigy.

"Do not worry, Master. This is an ideal chance to show that a soulless doll cannot compare to the skill of a knight. Please stand back and allow me to protect you."

When the dark figure held out his hand, a black long sword suddenly appeared out of thin air. The effigy charged and slashed at the warrior protecting me. I thought that the dark knight was going to use his sword to end the fight quickly, but instead he simply dodged the attack and countered with a punch that directly hit what could be considered the effigy's face. The effigy stammered back as if disoriented, and there was an notable dent in the effigy's head. The effigy then charges with the same attack it used to defeat my own effigy from earlier. However, the dark warrior dodges with minimal effort and counters with a single swing of his sword which effectively slices the effigy in two.

The battered effigy stops moving. There's no way it'll still function after being sliced in two. I look to the warrior that protected me and found him staring at his hand. I suddenly understood why he didn't use his sword right away. He was testing not only his enemy's strength, but the limits of his own strength as well.

"That was not much of a fight, Master. However, I have some unfortunate news. I am afraid to inform you that it appears as though my powers have been put under severe restrictions." The dark knight bows his head as if in apology.

The person before me continues to talk. However, the sound of his voice doesn't quite reach my ears. The heat coming from the mark on my hand grew in intensity during the fight and the resulting pain has become unbearable and burns through my consciousness.

_The mark imprinted on your hand is your Command Seal. It is proof that you hold domination over a Servant. You can use it to give three orders that must be obeyed. Think of them as disposable strengthening spells. It is also proof of your participation in the Holy Grail War. If you lose it for some reason, you will die._

Once again, I hear that voice. I somehow manage to ignore the pain and listen to what it has to say.

_I can understand your confusion. But before I forget… Congratulations. You have endured much to make it here. Now rest for a while; you've achieved your first goal. It was an incredibly clumsy effort to say the least, but that's what made it all the more entertaining. I've had this duty for a long time, but this is the first time I've seen a Master as helpless as you. Nevertheless, be proud of your achievement. Your quick thinking came as a result of nerves and rashness._

Thinking about it, the voice sounds like that of a thirty year old man. And its irritatingly smug. For some reason, I can see the owner of the voice as a priest, dressed in a somber cassock.

_Oh, you are curious about my identity? I am honored, but I am insignificant. I am merely a part of the system. I am just a guide, tasked with giving a standard message and given the personality of a prior participant. I am no more than words, no more than the mountain you just conquered, no more than a record of the past._

A record… So if I raise any objections to this voice, does it mean I won't receive any answers in return?

_Exactly. __Now, let us commence your baptism. You have proven yourself worthy of the honor. For most, the monotony of everyday life continues on without end. Your decision to look beyond the accepted and progress means that you have earned the right to exist. However, you have but taken the first step. Be jubilant, young knight, for the Holy Grail War begins now!_

I have no idea what he's talking about. The Holy Grail War…? The right to exist…?

_That is correct. An object of great power once existed in the world. One that could grant any desire. People called it the "Holy Grail" and fought endlessly in an attempt to gain sole possession of it. This war. This system you find yourself in now is an evolution of those struggles. You stand at the entrance of a deadly struggle where many Magi will perish in pursuit of the Holy Grail. Listen, young Mage. Had I not bestowed upon the Earth desire, you'd be merely saints capable of committing sin. Now, fight to the death. The fiery throne of heaven will only receive those with the strongest of desires._

The voice reverberates throughout this hidden chapel, as if it were the voice of a god. Kill…? Magi…? Holy Grail that grants wishes…? These questions, and more, swirl inside my head and almost seem to carve themselves into my flesh.

_In war, a weapon is needed. That is your Servant. They're the spear that pierces, the shield that protects. A Legendary Soul whose purpose is to clear your way to the Grail. That is one who stands beside you._

I glance over at the dark knight standing next to me who has continued to remain silent. This person is my Servant…

_It seems you have decided, and with that decision as payment, I now open the gates to the Holy Grail War._

The marks on my hand, my Command Seal, once again begin to become excruciatingly painful. It's over. I can't take it anymore. I collapsed. I reach the limits of my endurance and my mind starts to shut down. As I lose consciousness, I can vaguely hear the voice's final words.

_Now, let the Holy Grail War Begin. No matter the era, deciding who is worthy through battle is the divine providence of man. Magi who have been invited here by the Moon; show me your strength!_

The last thing I am aware of is someone holding me in their arms.

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><p><em><strong>What I seek is a shadow that doesn't sway.<strong>_

_**What I'm searching for is an illuminated escape.**_

_**What I gave you was my habitual sadness.**_

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><p><strong>AN: Please be kind and review. This is also my fist time writing a fight scene.**

**My reason for picking this Servant was by a slim majority vote, and after watching the Einzbern Consultation Room.**

**I wanted to write this story to give the Servants who got really bad experiences a second chance, and I thought that this guy deserved it the most. His experience with the Grail War itself might not have been as bad as some of the other Servants, (it doesn't really get much worse than Fate/Zero Lancer) but after hearing about his past, (and according to Irisviel) he won the title for _"the most hopeless Heroic Spirit in the fourth Grail War." _**

**So, his prize for being the most hopeless Heroic Spirit is being paired up with (currently) the most hopeless Master in the Moon Cell Grail War. Although, she's nowhere near as pitiful as his _last_ Master.**


	3. Juratus (Sworn Loyalty)

**A/N:** Poll Open: Should I keep the relationship between my MC and her Servant professional throughout the story, or should they develop romantic feelings for each other?

Poll available on my profile.

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><p><em><strong>The mire of the everyday sloughs off.<strong>_

_**A war between magi.**_

_**The wheel of fate turns.**_

_**Weak one, temper your sword,**_

_**and defend the value of your life.**_

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><p><em>The sky burns.<em>

_Houses collapse into ruin._

_People fall to the ground._

_Roads come to an end._

_The conflict started here. The world that was will be restored._

_It is here that "I" alone had survived._

_Don't remember/_**_Never forget_**_. Oblivion is salvation and sin. Never forget._

_"I" was born from perdition._

_This must be a nightmare. This had to be somewhere; it could be anywhere, these events that occurred in the true memories of childhood._

_The torrent of blood flows, and a voice resonating with bitter resentment can be heard._

_Lives fade away without a thought. Friends, family, strangers. All gone. Soldiers with guns, families trying to hold together, a grotesque struggle to the last, until a gentle peace descends as death comes to claim them._

_I could not accept all I have seen. The question of "why?" never left me._

_Even with the divide between conflict and catastrophe, why did such a tragedy occur?_

_No, more importantly… Why has this world been turned into a hell on Earth?_

_…__A gentle rain begins to fall. All things once living fade away, leaving only one behind._

_Amidst the helplessness and despair, their soul's last feelings are of rage and regret._

_The rain wets their cheeks as their eyes close one last time, dying forgotten and alone._

_Seeing this, I struggle to rise from the depths of death. I will not accept what I have been shown._

_If I can live again, I will definitely…_

_But there are no second chances. And before long, the rain has cleansed the scorched earth._

_Never forget._

_"I" was born from perdition._

_What that means…_

_Somehow, please don't forget it._

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><p>I open my eyes.<p>

…It seems I saw some sort of twisted, distorted dream.

With that, I look around and see that I'm in one of the beds in the nurse's office. The midday sun is illuminating the room and the sound of birds can be heard outside. I must have collapsed and was brought here. So, was that world, the effigy that almost killed me, that Servant that protected me… all a dream as well? If it was all just a dream then I should hurry up and get back to class…

No, after taking a second glance I notice that the nurse's office is far different from the one I knew. It's similar, but off somehow…

"At last you have awakened."

The overwhelming, unforgettable presence of someone suddenly appears beside my bed. It's the same man from before, still clad in that eerie dark armor. He is currently kneeling on one knee with his head bowed down. Even while kneeling I can tell that he is significantly taller than the average human.

"I hope that your rest has replenished your strength, Master. And seeing as your wounds have healed, you now appear healthy enough to participate in the Holy Grail War. However, I would assume you are aware of what the Holy Grail is, correct?" The dark knight looks up at me and his deep voice slightly echoes within his helmet.

I sit up in the bed and reply as best as I can. "I think I understand the basic outline of it. It is a wish granting device that is given to the last person standing at the end. The war for the Grail takes place virtually on something called the Moon Cell. Right?"

"That explanation shall suffice for now. Then are you aware of what a Servant is?"

"Uh… That's what you are… right?" I couldn't think of a better way to put it. All I know is what that strange voice told me after the dark knight in front of me first appeared.

"Yes, that is correct. Allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Saber, a Servant summoned to this realm to serve as your sword and shield in the Holy Grail War, my Master." He bowed his head again, like a knight before a king.

I started to feel kind of embarrassed by him calling me his _'Master'_. "You don't have to keep calling me Master. My name is Ailita Furude, so you can just call me Ailita."

"As you wish, Lady Ailita." Something tells me that's as close to a compromise as I was going to get with this guy.

"You don't have to be so formal. By the way… I don't mean to be rude, but 'Saber' is kind of an unusual name."

"The truth is that Saber is not my true name."

"Huh…? If Saber isn't your real name then why do you call yourself that?"

"Servants are Heroic Spirits made into special familiars that are bound to the one who summoned them, called Masters. Heroic Spirits are beings that accomplished great achievements such as saving the world and, after their death, became the object of worship and lore. Heroic Spirits summoned by the Holy Grail are place into one of seven classes. The seven standard classes are Lancer, Archer, Rider, Caster, Assassin, Berserker and Saber.

Lancer class Servants are very agile and skilled with long-range melee weapons, such as spears, or lances.

Servants within the Archer class are usually proficient with projectiles and can survive longer without a Master nearby, thanks to their special ability Independent Action; the strongest Archers can be difficult to control at times, in fact, due to their near-total independence from their 'Masters'.

Rider class Servants place emphasis upon speed and powerful attacks, which often include their mounts. Their special skill is Riding, which allows them to fully utilize abilities of their mounts which can range from simple horses to mechanical vehicles to divine or supernatural creatures.

Servants placed within the Caster class are adept in magecraft and have a special ability akin to Reality Marble, called Territory Creation, which alters or creates space around them to enhance their sorcery.

Assassin. These Servants are known to be specialized killers. The Assassins' special ability is 'Presence Concealment', which allows them to remain undetected. Offset by their stealth is their weak combat skills. Due to this, Assassins often target Masters instead of Servants.

Berserker class Servants are always heroes who have gone berserk in their lifetime. This trait allows them to use the special ability 'Mad Enhancement', which trades their sanity for a large power boost. Most Masters are incapable of controlling their Servant once Mad Enhancement has been activated, which eventually results in their death.

And finally, the Saber class. Servants placed within this class are agile and powerful melee warriors. It is commonly assumed to be the best class overall, with high ratings in all parameters. It also possesses the Riding skill like the Rider class. Because I fall under the Saber class I shall go by the name, Saber."

My head started to spin at all of the new words that were being thrown at me. I got up to sit on the edge of the bed. My gaze then drifted to the strange marking on the back of my hand.

"Do these markings on my hand have anything to do with me being a Master?"

Saber raises his head again. "That is correct. Those markings are called Command Seals and they are proof that you are a Master. The seals are three absolute orders that can either restrain or reinforce the action of a Servant, to the point of making it perform an otherwise impossible action. However, as soon as you use your last Command Seal your life shall be terminated by the Moon Cell, so I would advise you to use them wisely. Also, I give you my word that I would never disobey you even without the Command Seals. "

At least that explanation wasn't as lengthy. However, there is one question that Saber seems to be avoiding.

"If all Servants Heroic Spirits, then what was your true name in life?"

"…" Saber goes silent, and with his helmet covering his face it's impossible to tell what he is thinking. After what seemed like an eternity of silence, he gives his reply. "The true name of a Servant is something vital to battle, as it can reveal much about them. It can reveal certain traits about their abilities, allowing for specific countermeasures, and there are many famous heroes that had met untimely deaths in life. Those killed by poison will be more susceptible to it, those shot down by arrows will be weak against them, and those with weak spots will be severely disadvantaged. There are also things like the traits of a dragon being weak against dragon-slaying weapons, and even without such a specific countermeasure, releasing that information to the other Masters can allow for other countermeasures."

This is starting to get annoying. "I understand what you are saying, but wouldn't it be more of an advantage for the Master to understand the Heroic Spirit they have been partnered with?"

Saber took another long pause to counter my statement. "Please note that despite the origins of the term 'hero', Heroic Spirits are not bound to the common understanding of the word. There are Heroic Spirits that have been remembered throughout the ages for crimes they have committed, thus there are Servants that are unable to hold their heads high as heroes."

This time I was the one who was left speechless.

Saber once again averted his gaze and I noticed he clenched his fists tightly as if remembering something painful. "I am the alienated, the ridiculed, the despised. No need to praise my name. I am the shadow under the radiance of heroic spirits. Birthed of the darkness of glorious legend. Nourished by the sighs of the people precipitated within the darkness, people that curse the light. This is my disgrace. Because of a certain person's unsullied glory, I must forever be belittled."

Words are unable to describe the melancholy and self-loathing I heard in his voice.

With that, my Servant stands up and disappears into thin air. However, I can still feel his presence nearby. "Even if you cannot see me, I shall be by your side to protect you. I am merely staying out of sight when I am not needed so my identity will not be revealed to any of the Masters on campus."

How his identity could be guessed by his appearance alone is beyond me. For now I'll drop the subject about who he is for now.

I stand up and start to walk to the center of the nurse's office when the door opened, revealing Sakura Matou.

"Oh, Ailita. You're finally awake? I'm so relieved." She greets me with a friendly smile. "You don't seem to have any injuries, so feel free to leave when you feel like it. Also, all of your memories have been restored by SERAPH. so do not worry. Any magi that seek the Holy Grail have their memories suppressed and are given those of a student. Only Masters who have managed to recover themselves are allowed to enter the main tournament. Now that you have regained your memories, please review them to make sure they're complete."

Regained my memories? "Something's not right. Outside of my name, I can't recall anything of my past. I realized that everyone around me was forced to believe they were normal students… However, I can't remember a single thing that happened to me before then!"

Sakura looks shocked at my reply. "Your memory restoration failed? I am afraid I cannot help you. I, Sakura Matou, am just a custodial AI."

My complaints were totally ignored. It seems she can't act beyond her programing.

"Oh, I should give this to you before I forget." She gives me some kind of portable terminal. I assume it's for getting messages and whatnot. "As a participant, you should pay attention to any messages that appear on your terminal."

Sakura may be nice, but she currently isn't much help. I decided to go look around the school to see if there is some one that can help me.

* * *

><p><em><strong>What are carried out, are the thoughts of happiness.<strong>_

_**What are avoided, are the promises between friends.**_

_**What are left, are the moments of confusion.**_

* * *

><p>If you can't tell who Saber obviously is by now, then shame on you and go watch FateZero.

His first appearance is in episode 5, and he quickly shows off how much of a badass he is during a confrontation with** Gilgamesh**.

Or, you could just watch the _Einzbern Consultation Room_ Episode 6


	4. Constantiae (Perseverance)

**A/N: New poll open. When it gets to the point where I have to decide to save either Rin or Rani, which one should I save?**

**Poll available on my profile.**

* * *

><p><strong>Morning<strong>

Not knowing where to even begin to start looking for answers, I just wander around the building to get a feel for my surroundings. It turns out it's exactly like the school I have grown accustomed to over the past week. I still couldn't see Saber, but I could tell he was still somewhere nearby watching over me and prepared to defend me. This fact didn't make me feel any less uncomfortable with my current situation. It was just too surreal to believe. It almost made me want to believe that I'm trapped in a bad dream.

After finally exploring just about every inch of the school, I walk outside to get some juice from a vending machine and sit down on a nearby bench to collect my thoughts. I asked Saber if he wanted anything to drink, but he politely refused. In contrast to my distressed state, the other students that managed to become Masters seemed to be in high spirits for making it through the preliminary round. However, this is a very slim fraction of the number of students that were originally on campus.

With nothing better to do, I decide to examine the Terminal I received from Sakura earlier. After getting a feel for how to use it, I noticed there was a section on my Servant's parameters.

Strength: E

Endurance: E

Agility: E

Mana: E

Luck: E

"I'm in no way an expert on The Holy Grail War, Servants, or combat, but I'm pretty sure that from what I'm seeing, Saber's abilities probably won't compare to some of the other Servants." I then remember Saber saying that his powers were put under severe restrictions. If that's true then how strong was he originally? And more importantly, is it possible to regain that strength?

"My apologies for my current abilities not meeting your expectations, Lady Ailita. "

I jump slightly when Saber's sudden comment snaps me out of my thoughts. I look around frantically, but my dark knight still can't be seen. I suddenly feel guilty for forgetting he was there for a moment, and saying something that insulting in front of him. I was about to apologize until a voice that was _intentionally_ insulting interrupted me.

"Well if it ain't Ailita. I can't believe such a boring person like you actually made it through the prelims." My feelings instantly change from guilty to really irritated as I look to my right to see the owner of the voice. Sure enough, that obnoxiously arrogant voice belongs to the school's most popular seaweed-head, Shinji Matou. He has purple, wavy hair, and wears a purple dress shirt beneath his tan school uniform jacket. I remember that Shinji was one of my classmates during the preliminary rounds. He was very popular with the girls in our class, although the reason why is beyond me. He is also such a megalomaniac that if he gets an answer wrong in class, he would claim that the question was wrong instead of him.

"So you're a mage too. I couldn't feel your presence so I completely forgot about you." Shinji sits down next to me while he continued to run his mouth. "Those prelims sure were a pain to get through though. Of course, it's no surprise _I_ made it, being the naturally gifted genius that I am. But someone like you surviving is a miracle. That makes us the only two people in our class to become Masters."

Doesn't this guy have anything better to do? However, if what he's saying is true, then that means that most of his fan club is gone. I wonder if that's the reason he came over to bother me, but unfortunately for him my standards are not that low. I stay quiet and just tune him out while I finish my juice in the hope that if I do he'll take the hint that I don't give a damn about what he says and just leave me alone.

Unfortunately, it's taking _a long time_ for him to notice that I want him to leave. He doesn't even seem to notice that I'm not even paying attention. I did hear him say something like how through his genius skills he discovered how to enter the war, how he didn't expect to lose his memory for the preliminary rounds, and because of his amazing hacker skills he can mess with some of the data in the system. After what felt like an eternity, Shinji stood up to walk away. However, he decided to leave a final remark.

"Alright. This is it. From here on out, what's at stake is the Holy Grail. The other Masters may have started this war, but I'll be the one to come out on top. After all, my Servant _is_ the strongest so there's no way I'd lose. I would tell you good luck because we're friends, but luck won't help you win this game." And with that Shinji _finally_ decided to leave me alone. With him gone thing started to become much more peaceful.

Hold on a second… Since when did he start calling me his friend?

* * *

><p>After dealing with Shinji's monologue, I decided to head up to the roof of the school to clear my head. When I reach the top of the stairs I find the entire rooftop to be vacant. Now that I have a good view of the entire area, it almost seems like the entire school is submerged under a digital sea. If I look above me, I don't see a sky with clouds, instead I see a sea filled with 1s and 0s. It's just another reminder that I'm not in the real world. On the bright side, it's nice and peaceful up on the roof. Being alone once and a while can be pretty relaxing.<p>

Actually, that's not quite right. I'm _not_ currently alone. That thought reminded me of something else I needed to do.

"Saber, are you there?" The moment I say that, Saber materializes in front of me.

"Yes, Lady Ailita. How can I be of assistance?" He puts his hand over his chest and gives a slight bow. It made me think that his polite mannerisms completely contradict with his menacing appearance.

"I told you before that you don't have to be so formal to me." No matter what it's still kind of hard to get used to just how polite he is. Maybe it's because I'm so used to Shinji being an ass all the time that interacting with someone with such good manners feels unnatural. Then again, Leo has pretty good manners. However, Leo give off the feeling that he belongs at the top and is looking down on everyone else and makes me feel somewhat uneasy. Saber gives a more humble and less oppressive feeling.

"My apologies, Milady, but as a knight and your Servant I find it only natural to be courteous to my Lady and Master." This guy really isn't going to budge on this issue is he? Well, it's not like I _hate_ it, so I guess I can live with it.

"Well, that issue aside. The reason a called you out is because I wanted to apologize for what I said earlier. The comment about your skills. I didn't mean to say that out loud." I know it might seem minor, but I did feel bad thinking that I might have insulted the person who claimed they would protect me.

"Think nothing of it. I apologize for my current skills not meeting your expectations."

"Y-You don't have to apologize for that. I don't think it's really your fault. I remember you said your powers were restricted so…" Saber suddenly turned to face the door that we had just come out of. "Saber? Is something wrong?"

"Stay on your guard. Another Master is approaching." As soon as Saber finishes talking he disappears, making it seem like I'm the only one on the roof again.

The door opened and a girl came out. She has long black hair styled into twin-tails and aqua eyes. Her clothes consist of a red turtleneck, a black skirt and she wears long black boots. Only one person I know fits that description. Rin Tohsaka. I heard that she's Miss Popular for being pretty and really smart. I've never talked to her though, so I don't really have an opinion on her.

"I've investigated this school from top to bottom, but there's nothing unique about it." Right now I'm not sure _what_ to make of her. She's just walking around, patting the walls and floors, and talking to herself.

"Huh? Hey, you over there." She calls out to me when she realizes that she's not alone on the roof. Normally I would think nothing of it, but right now we are in the middle of a battlefield and she could possibly be my enemy. When I don't move she decides to come closer.

"Yeah, you. Hmm, I haven't really checked the NPCs yet. I know a simple way. Don't you move." Getting into my personal space, she reaches out and touches my cheek. "Imagine that. You're warm, though you shouldn't be. Huh? That's weird, seeing a cheek blush like that." Her face is now three centimeters from mine. Right now I'm too shocked by her sudden behavior to do anything. She then does a light pat-down of my shoulders, arms, and stomach. All I can say is that I'm thankful that there is no one else on the roof right now. I think I'd die of embarrassment if anyone saw what Tohsaka was dong to me.

"Interesting. You're more well build than I had expected. You look and feel real. Maybe more real than most people." She suddenly stops talking to turn around. "Hey, what are you laughing at? It's to our advantage to look into everything, even the NPCs." Rin scowls and starts yelling at the space behind her. That must be where her Servant is. She then turns back around franticly.

"Huh? She's a Master too? No way… a Master should be more… W-Wait. That means I just felt up-!" Realizing her mistake, Rin freaks out and her face is starting to match her shirt. "This is so embarrassing...!"

I could swear I just faintly heard a man's voice laughing. The voice didn't belong to Saber, or anyone else I know.

"Shut up! Even I make mistakes! Don't call me a pervert because you have no room to talk!" Rin then starts shouting at her Servant behind her. I think I have a pretty good idea what was being said. "Anyway, this is your fault too."

"Um… I would say I'm the victim in this situation. How exactly is this _my_ fault?" I decide to finally break my silence.

"It's because you're too bland to anything but an NPC. Even now there's nothing but a blank look on your face. Were the prelims too boring to jog your memories?" That's when she finally got to the main reason behind my current stress.

"Actually… my memories still haven't returned."

"Are you serious? That's… really bad. Once you enter the Holy Grail War, the only way out is to be the last person standing. Even without memories, or previous battle experience, you still have to fight. Oh well. At least it will be one less challenge for me."

Ok… That was cold. There wasn't even an ounce of concern in her voice. But then again, why should she care? We are all enemies in this war. And a severely handicapped Master like me probably isn't considered much of a threat to her.

"Lady Ailita. Do not take that girl's words to heart. She has never seen our fight, so she her assumption that we are incompetent is unjustified." Saber's words manage to make Rin's words somewhat sting less.

"Well… I guess I pity you. I wonder if your personal data was messed up on your way from the prelims. Well, in any case, you don't look like you're cut out for fighting. By the way, I'm Rin Tohsaka."

"I'm Ailita Furude." After I've introduced myself to one of my possibly future enemies, I turn around to leave.

So, I really have lost my memories. All I currently know is that I am a Master with Saber as my Servant at my command. I don't know who I am. I don't know my past. I don't even know why I entered this war. However, **I don't want to die.** So no matter what, **I will win this war.**

* * *

><p><strong>What you'll eliminate,<strong>

**is the fragrance of memory.**

**What you'll see,**

**are the scars of hatred.**

**What you'll hear,**

**are the echoes of footsteps from the past.**


	5. Advorsarius (Rival)

**A/N: The poll on whether I will choose to save Rani or Rin during the 4th round is still on my profile. So far the score is:**

**Rani: 3**

**Rin: 2**

* * *

><p><strong>Evening<strong>

Later in the day, I stop by the cafeteria to get some dinner. I heard some people say that the curry bread is supposed to be really good, but I decided to just get some mapo tofu. Once again, Saber claimed he didn't want anything when I offered to get him something to eat. After I sit down at a nearby table to eat my incredibly spicy dish, I go over everything that I found out so far. There are currently 128 Masters that managed to pass the prelims. The winner will be decided after a series of one on one battles between the Masters and the Servants they managed to summon. This means there should be about seven or so battles. The Master that manages to struggle to the end wins not only the Holy Grail, but the ability to return to the real world alive. For a Master like me, who has no memory, hacking skills, or battle experience whatsoever, my chances don't look so good.

"How can you eat something like that with a blank face? I don't know how you can stand to eat something that spicy." I look up to see Rin Tohsaka walking toward my table with her own tray of food. Looks like she chose the omelet rice.

"It's really not that bad."

"Oh well. To each their own. In this world, even if you don't eat, your health is still maintained by the system. But I guess it's still a habit to continue to regularly eat." Tohsaka takes a seat in the chair across from me.

"I guess that explains why my Servant hasn't been eating anything. At least I don't have to worry about him starving." Tohsaka just gave a slight chuckle at my reply. I didn't think I said anything funny.

"Ailita? No way. When the hell did you manage to team up with Tohsaka?!" Any chance of having a peaceful meal automatically vanished as Shinji stormed up to the table that Tohsaka and I were sitting at. He seemed genuinely shocked that Tohsaka and I were being civil towards each other. Tohsaka on the other hand, didn't seem the least bit phased by him.

"Well, if it isn't Asia's most prominent hacker. A little timid aren't we? Shinji Matou." She actually seemed to be enjoying herself as she was watching Shinji lose his cool.

"Why do you know who I am?"

"During the prelims I found out who you are and took note of you, but you participating in this game seemed oh so trivial. I hope that explanation will put you at ease."

"What?!" At that comment Shinji started yelling. He always did hate it whenever anyone even implied that he was inferior.

"Just look around you. This is a sufficiently large turnout for the Holy Grail War." Looking around, there were quite a few people who were staring after Shinji's outburst.

"They're all here for the Holy Grail? What exactly is it?" I figure that this is as good a time to ask that question as any. Shinji was still fuming after Tohsaka's comment, so Tohsaka was the one to give me a reply.

"I haven't actually seen it so I can't give you all of the details. But its existence, and the fact that it can grant any wish is something that anyone would want. The Holy Grail has an unfathomable amount of power lying dormant and can shake the very fabric of the world." If I'm to believe what Tohsaka just told me then I can understand why there are so many people.

"That's correct, Miss Tohsaka. That is why it is meant to be put under the Harwey's control." As if there weren't enough people in this conversation. This time when I look around, I see Leo walking toward us. Behind him was a blond man covered in shining silver armor. His appearance is the polar opposite of my Saber. Whispers could be heard throughout the room as Leo entered as if he was some kind of celebrity. I overheard someone say that he is the next head of Western European plutocrats and how it was shocking that he was taking part in the war. "It is a pleasure to finally get to meet you face to face, Miss Tohsaka. I look forward to seeing you participate. Your actions with the Harwey Asia branch puts me at a loss for words." Leo speaks in a friendly tone without a hint of malice.

"And here you are at the front lines. Isn't that nice? I hope you can repay your debt in heaven. I'm also having fun, and as for your Servant just standing there. You think you've got some sort of superiority?" From the amount of venom in Rin's voice, it's pretty obvious that she is no fan of Leo.

"I see no reason to hide my Servant. Gawain, why don't you introduce yourself." The silver knight steps forward, seeming just as confident as his Master and gives a slight bow.

"I am the Servant Gawain, henceforth; you are all acquaintances of my Master and seem like worthy opponents." That was probably the most shocking statement I heard all day. I can't believe that Leo just revealed his Servant's true identity and didn't seem bothered by it in the least. Revealing a Servant's true identity also gives away their strengths and weaknesses. It makes me wonder what exactly Leo is thinking.

"And as for you, Miss Ailita Furude, I've taken a great interest in you. There didn't seem to be anything special about you in the prelims and nothing about you stands out, but you still managed to find the strength to form a contract with a Servant." I wasn't expecting Leo to pay any attention to me so I wasn't ready for his sudden statement. Although it's not like I had anything to counter him, mostly because he was exactly right. There is nothing special about me and I only survived the prelims by the skin on my teeth.

"Hey! Don't ignore me!" I honestly forgot that Shinji was still there. "You interrupted me! The one who is going to win this game is me! I don't know who you Harweys are, but don't get cocky!" Leo didn't seem fazed at all by Shinji's enraged outburst. He just faced Shinji and smiled like an innocent child.

Shinji, Leo, and I were in the same class in the prelims and because Leo managed to become more popular than Shinji and has proven to be more intelligent (that's not saying much though), Shinji has always resented Leo. However, after having his ego bruised by Tohsaka, right now it looks like Shinji really wants to strangle the next person who insults him.

"How rude of me. I am terribly sorry, I did not know that I had made you upset. What was your name again?" Straw, meet camel's back. That last comment finally pushed Shinji over the edge. However, I'm not sure if that was Leo's intention or not.

"Damn you little… Come forth, Rider!" At Shinji's command a woman appeared. She has long wavy crimson pink hair, blue eyes and a scar across her face. She wears brown choker collar almost attached to her dark pink vest that shows off her breasts, white pants, and long dark brown boots. She also had an antique looking pistol in each hand. Leo's Servant Gawain immediately stood protectively in front of him with a sword in hand.

"Shinji, don't forget that I'm a hired gun. Calling me isn't cheap." The woman almost sounds annoyed at being summoned.

"The money doesn't matter, I'll pay you later, just hurry up and thrash that Servant! Take him out already, Rider!"

"Idiot. In a place like this?" Rin seemed about as shocked as I was by Shinji's impulsive behavior. The woman called Rider aimed a few bullets at Gawain's exposed head, but he easily deflected them with his sword. Judging from the way he fights, I would assume that Gawain belongs to the same class as my own Servant. While the battle was still going on I turned to Rin for help.

"Tohsaka, shouldn't we do something to stop them?" Rin didn't acknowledge me as she continued to watch the battle unfold. Looking around, I noticed that there are several other people watching the battle, but doing nothing to stop it. They all seemed too preoccupied in gathering information about the two Servants that could potentially be their opponents. I think that the only Master not paying attention was me as the sound of gunshots and clashing metal fills the air.

"**That's enough you two.**" A deep baritone voice echoed throughout the room, effectively stopping the two Servants in their tracks. A tall man dressed as a priest approached. "Players must show self-control, and not get into prohibited brawls outside of the real fights." Rider disappeared and Gawain sheathed his sword. "I am Kotomine, this Holy Grail War's supervision officer and faculty NPC. Your decisive battle day has not approached yet. When that day comes you may kill each other to your hearts content." Shinji seemed actively pissed that his fight was interrupted.

"You just escaped death, remember that Leo!"

"On that note. Ailita Furude, Shinji Matou, you two are to be opponents in the first round, six days from now. On the seventh day you will report to the battlefield which will be the First Chimeric Lunar Sea. It's laughable how you two get along. I wonder if this was intentional." Kotomine then walks away.

I can't believe what I just heard. I have to fight Shinji and his Servant. No matter how many times I repeat that to myself, the meaning of the words fail to register in my brain. It's true that I've never liked Shinji and never will, but I wouldn't go so far as to want him dead.

"Hahaha. My first opponent is _Ailita_? Talk about luck. This round will be an easy win for sure." Shinji walks away laughing as if he just won the lottery. If Shinji is making light of the situation, why do I feel like I'm trapped in Hell?

"One more thing, Ailita Furude. Someone has gone to great lengths to send you a commendation. Truly unprecedented. Something about you 'having a light.'"

I have no clue who would say such a thing about me. But that short phrase struck my heart because, for some unknown reason, I knew the words were sincere.

However, because of Kotomine, I am now the center of attention for Leo, Tohsaka, and several other Masters that overheard what Kotomine said.

* * *

><p>When I finished my meal, I decided to go see that suspicious priest. If he is the supervisor then he should have the information I need the most. I eventually find him on the first floor.<p>

"Is there something you need, young mage?" I decide to just be direct with my question.

"It's about my Servant. I need to know how to improve his strength. He mentioned before that there were restrictions on his abilities, and I want to know if there is a way to remove them."

"The strength of the Servant mostly depends on the Master. A highly skilled Master will produce higher parameters. An incompetent Master can hinder and lower the parameters of even the most powerful Servant." So, in other words… _I'm_ the reason Saber's powers are restricted? And I have the feeling that he was throwing that incompetent remark specifically at me.

"Is there anything I can do to remove those restrictions?"

"To do that, you will need to increase your own strength as a Master. One way to do that is to train in the Arena at the end of the hall on the first floor. If you battle the enemy programs then over time your skills will improve." That sounds simple enough. With that, I thank Kotomine for his advice and start to leave. Being in his presence makes me uneasy. "One last thing. All Masters are given a private room. Here is the passcode for your room which is 2-B. Simply raise your terminal to the door and it should unlock."

With that, I finally take my leave. Seeing that I only have six days until my fight I head straight for the Arena. As soon as I'm half way down the hall I stop dead in my tracks. I could feel a sudden sense of dread, like something ferocious had zeroed in on me as its next victim.

"AI~LI~TA~~~!" That roar was the only warning I got before being pounced on by our school's resident tiger, Ms. Taiga Fujimura. "Hey, hey Ailita! You'd be willing to do your favorite teacher a tiny little favor, right? RIGHT?!" The way Taiga was staring at me intensely, I knew that I didn't have any choice but to say yes. Even if I did refuse, knowing Taiga, she'll follow me around_forever_ until I say yes. Or at least until she picks another victim.

"Sure Ms. Fujimura. I'd be happy to help."

"YAY! You're such a good girl! So, my favorite kendo sword has disappeared. I don't know how, but it somehow ended up in the Arena. I can't go in there, so it's your job to find it and bring it back to me. Also, make sure to get it back to me before the first round ends, OK?" She gives me a vice-grip hug and then runs off in the direction she came from.

"Well, that was an... _interesting_ encounter. That woman appears to be very... eccentric." Saber finally decides to make his prescience known.

"I think _crazy_ would be a better way to describe Ms. Fujimura." I hear a small chuckle from my dark knight. I can't help but smile at this. I've noticed that he's been even more quiet than usual, and he seems troubled by something. He hasn't even made a comment since we were in the cafeteria earlier. I wonder what could have happened to upset him.

Anyway, before anyone else can get in my way, I make a dash for the Arena.

* * *

><p>As soon as I enter the Arena, Saber materializes beside me. By my opinion the Arena kind of reminds me of an aquarium. Bizarre fish and underwater plants can be seen on the other side of the walls.<p>

"Lady Ailita, I am at your service and await your command. Be assured that I shall not be defeated by such low caliber opponents." Saber looks toward the Arena boldly, as if there is nothing to be afraid of. I swallow nervously. I can't even see his face, but I can tell that Saber's composure might as well be in a different dimension from mine, where I can't seem to tell right from left. However you look at it, I'm definitely the follower here. This Arena is an unknown territory to Saber as well. Maybe the reason he can be so calm is because being in a dangerous situation is nothing new to him. For some reason, his composure puts me at ease.

As we start to explore the Arena, we come across an enemy program. It looks like a giant wasp. As we fight it, I notice something odd about Saber's sword. Like his armor, his sword is also covered in a dense black fog that hides any distinguishable characteristics about it. It makes me wonder if his sword would give away his true identity.

As we continue to explore the Arena, we eventually come across an item folder that had Taiga's kendo sword in it. I find it kind of ironic that it also has tiger stripes on it.

After defeating a large number of enemy programs we decide to call it a day. Unfortunately, I don't really feel any stronger. Frankly the whole process of fighting monsters to get stronger is like something straight out of a video game. I decide to check Saber's parameters to see if anything has changed.

Strength: D

Endurance: D

Agility: D

Mana: E

Luck: E

It's not much, but at least we are making progress… I hope.

* * *

><p><strong>Night<strong>

When we got back from our expedition in the Arena I head to the classroom assigned to be my room. When I raise the terminal to the door, I hear a low hum or maybe an incantation. The door opens to reveal… a classroom. I'll admit that when I heard Kotomine say 'private room' I was kind of hoping for something like an apartment or a dorm room

When I entered the room Saber appeared beside me while I checked out the room to see what we had to work with. Well, at least besides desks and chairs there was a bed, some random boxes, and in the corner of the room there was a bathtub which I thought was odd to find in a classroom, but at least it means I could take a bath.

But then I realized one small issue. I have a roommate. A very _male_ roommate. There was also only one bed. It does seem big enough to fit two people, but that was absolutely **not** happening!

There was an awkward silence and I could tell that Saber was also wondering what to do in this situation.

"Hey, Saber… since you did all of that hard work in the Arena, you can have the bed. I can just make a futon out of some of those cardboard boxes." Even though I really hate hard beds, it only seemed fair to me since Saber was the one doing all of the hard work.

"Lady Ailita, I appreciate your thoughtfulness, but as a knight and your Servant I cannot allow my lady and Master to sleep on the floor."

I can already tell where this is going, and all I can say is that this is going to be a _long_ night.

* * *

><p>After a long argument, the room was rearranged and I ended up sleeping on the bed, while Saber ended up sleeping in a curtained off corner of the room. I'm not complaining too much because the bed is comfy.<p>

Since there was nothing else to do, I decided it would be best to just go to sleep. Or at least I tried to sleep. All my thoughts were keeping my awake. I'm still not sure what I'm going to do. I have to fight Shinji in the first round. He may be an ass, but I would never think of taking his life. However, if I don't do anything to fight back, I'm the one who will die. That leads to another reason for my stress. I'm probably the most incompetent Master in the Holy Grail War. I can tell that Saber is a highly skilled warrior; the only thing holding him back is me. I'm the reason my Servant is severely handicapped.

"You seem troubled, Lady Ailita. What ails you?" I couldn't hear the usual slight echo in his voice so I guess he must have taken off his helmet.

"I was just thinking that you must really be frustrated by the fact that you are paired up with the most pathetic Master in the Grail War. You probably wish you were paired up with someone more competent. You can go ahead and be honest." I'm ready for anything he'll throw at me. He'll probably point out everything I can't do that the other Masters can. That, or he might try to give me some empty praise and say he won't talk badly about me because he is my Servant, or a knight , or whatever. Either way, if he does compliment me, I doubt he'll mean it because I can't even find anything to compliment. At least after everything that's been said about me so far today, nothing he says could make me feel any worse.

"I don't think I would have it any other way." There was no hesitation in his voice.

"Huh?" I thought he would have at least one complaint. "Isn't it embarrassing to have to be stuck with such a weak little girl?"

"A true knight shall always stand to defend the weak. Because of this, I actually find my contract with you to be a blessing because it gives me an ideal opportunity to uphold the code of chivalry and my honor as a knight."

"So… you're saying that you're actually happy that I'm so pathetic?" I'm not sure how I should take that.

"You may be inexperienced in matters of combat, but this means that you have potential for growth. I can also tell that you have a very strong will. When you first summoned me, you were on the brink of death and had no way to save yourself. Despite this, you refused to submit to the fate that was presented before you, and that strong will is what allowed you to summon me. Even now without your memories, you are not submitting to your troubles and giving up, but instead you are trying your best to become stronger in order to overcome the challenges that lie before you. Because of this I feel no shame in having you as my Master, and I am proud to be able to serve you as your sword and protect you."

Saber's response caught me completely off guard. Ever since I got here, everyone around me has called me insignificant, incompetent, and pathetic. Not having any memory only makes it worse because it means I don't know enough about myself to deny those statements being true. Saber's voice sounded completely serious, so I know he wasn't throwing out empty words of encouragement just to make me feel better. He was being completely honest and meant every word when he complimented me and said he didn't mind having me for a Master. Hearing someone try to give me some form of comfort, and point out something good about me for the first time made me so happy I wanted to cry.

"Thank you, Saber."

* * *

><p><strong><em>The most intricate thing to find in this world.<br>Is it a needle that you lost in the desert?_**

**_The most intricate thing to find in this world.  
>Is it a crow's feather that you lost in the darkness of the night?<em>**

**_The most intricate thing to find in this world is,  
>Realizing your own erroneous contemplation.<em>**

* * *

><p><strong>AN:****For the private room I'm basing it off of what I saw in the Fate/Extra manga.**

**I also want to say that writing dialogue for Saber is pretty tough. I mean, the guy only has about three lines in the series, so it's not a lot to go on.**

/div  
>div


	6. Cognitionis (Acquiring Knowledge)

**A/N: Sorry it's been such a long time since I last updated. To make up for it, I've decided to post an extra long chapter. Enjoy. :D**

**The poll on whether I will choose to take on Rani or Rin as a sidekick is still on my profile. So far the score is:**

**Rin: 10**

**Rani: 6**

* * *

><p><strong>Week: 1<strong>

**Days Remaining: 5 **

**Midday **

After Saber's kind words pulled me out of my negative spiral last night I feel more motivated. If I'm going to survive I have to do everything in my power to win the upcoming fight.

Earlier I turned over the kendo sword I found in the Arena to Taiga. She gives me a bone crushing hug as thanks, and a lamp for my room. I guess if a few decorations are added, our private room could start to feel more comfortable.

I head to the cafeteria and notice that aside from food, there is a shop that sells supplies and Formal Wear. The Formal Wear allows me to use something called code casting. Saber then explained to me that code casting is something similar to using magic. Its main purpose is to allow the Master to help support the Servant.

The supplies that that was available includes items that can heal a Servant and a Return Crystal which can be used to get out of the Arena quickly. I decide to buy some of the healing supplies, a few Return Crystals in case things get ugly in the Arena, and a curry bread in case I get hungry later.

* * *

><p><strong>Evening [1<strong>**st**** Floor]**

After making sure I have everything prepared, I head to the Arena with Saber to continue our training. Unfortunately, as soon as I set foot on the first floor, I'm stopped by a certain unpleasant voice.

"Hey Ailita, are you going to the Arena to train? Even if you had a thousand years to prepare, a cretin like you still wouldn't be able to rise to my level! Hahaha!" I turn around to find Shinji looking as smug as usual. Also, if I wanted to reach his level I would have to sink pretty low. "I already told you that despite our past friendship, next time we meet we will be enemies so I won't hold back. Anyway, I'm heading to the Arena too, so don't get in my way. If you do, then don't blame me if I accidentally kill you before the first round." With that Shinji walks past me toward the Arena.

As soon as Shinji is out of sight, I can hear Saber's voice beside me.

"Normally I would not even heed a challenge from an arrogant youngster like him, but I'm afraid I have no choice in the matter. I shall not tolerate such disrespect towards my Master." I can tell from his tone that he is about as annoyed as I am.

I wonder if Saber's appearance might be enough to intimidate Shinji into being quiet. After all, with the black fog around his dark armor, and his helmet with a thinly carved slit displaying an ominous red glow, he's more scary looking than the enemy programs I've seen in the Arena. If his weapon was a scythe instead of a sword he would look like a medieval grim reaper or something. I try to imagine Shinji's face. It's pretty funny.

"Is something wrong, Milady?" Saber's words snap me out of my thoughts. I suddenly realized that my thoughts were showing on my face, and I look away in embarrassment.

"N-Nothing Saber! L-Lets just get to the Arena."

* * *

><p><strong>[Arena]<strong>

As soon as we enter the Arena, Saber has his sword ready.

"Do not let your guard falter Milady. That boy and his Servant are nearby." That could be a problem. I'm not sure about the power difference between Shinji and me, so I'm not sure how to deal with him if we have to confront him. However, that thought brings another question to mind.

"Saber, what should we do if he attacks us?"

"The rules state that combat between Masters is prohibited in the Arena and on campus at all times. If for some reason a fight occurs, the system shall put a stop to it. As a penalty, the status of any Master caught fighting on campus will be downgraded." At least I have some form of protection. However, this means that you can attack your enemy as long as you don't get caught.

"I'm pretty sure that Shinji isn't mature enough to wait for our fight." I'm reminded of how he picked a fight with Leo in the cafeteria after Leo insulted him.

"As disgraceful as his actions are, this could be a good opportunity to gather information. If you miss a chance to obtain information on the enemy you will never get another chance. In this war, information is vital."

Saber doesn't have to remind me. Although, considering that I don't know anything about Saber, and the fact that Saber usually keeps his mouth shut, I guess I don't have to worry about leaking any information by accident.

* * *

><p>We march forward in the Arena and continue to fight the enemy programs that are becoming easier to defeat. I make use of the healings items when Saber starts to get tired. Eventually we see Shinji and his Servant up ahead. They are standing there as if they have been waiting for us. If I recall correctly, Shinji revealed the other day that his Servant is Rider.<p>

"Looks like you've got some guts to show up Ailita. I did warn you about what would happen if we crossed paths. I'm sure you remember my Servant from the other day. After seeing how strong she is, I'm sure that black Servant of yours is so scared he can't even move. He may look like a phantom, but he isn't so tough. Yeah… that's right… no matter how scary he looks, he still can't compare to my Servant!" Shinji is talking like he is trying to reassure himself. Well, that answers my question if Saber's appearance would be enough to intimidate Shinji. It's not making him shut up though.

"So have you finally finished gloating, Shinji? I was almost starting to enjoy your meaningless chatter. As you can see, my Master is a complete social retard, right girly?" I guess not all Servants are as supportive of their Masters as Saber is.

"I could of told you that."

"Seeing him actually have a conversation with you, and call you his friend, I thought that we could settle this peacefully."

"I could honestly stand him a lot better if he could learn to keep his mouth shut."

"Yeah, he could really learn something from that eerie knight of yours." I feel like this Servant and I could probably have become friends if we met under different circumstances.

"I am afraid that improving that boy's attitude is beyond my capabilities, seeing as he lacks any dignity, respect, or honor." Saber finally decided to join the conversation.

"HEY! Don't talk about me like I'm not here! Those two are the enemy! Quit the gossip already!" Shinji looks actively pissed.

"Aren't you acting tough?" she says sarcastically. "A minute ago I could see your knees shaking, but now you seem ready to fight. I admit that I'm impressed that you're evil enough to give someone you call a friend a good thrashing. Be sure to give me a generous reward later!" Rider pointed her guns at us while Saber stands protectively in front of me and tightened his grip on his sword.

"Wait! Not yet you idiot!" Shinji's sudden command surprised me. I thought he wouldn't be patient enough to wait for the assigned date to fight. "It's not worth wasting energy on a loser like Ailita. Besides, it's not like it matters if I beat her now or later because I'm going to come out on top anyway. Eventually you'll be groveling in the dirt like trash. Although, if you beg hard enough I might make you my underling. If I'm in a good mood I might even split the prize money with you." Shinji disappears along with Rider. I'm guessing that he must have used one of those Return Crystals.

"That boy's sudden retreat went against my expectations." I could see the tension drop from Saber's shoulders as her lowered his blade.

"You're not the only one surprised here Saber. I'm surprised Shinji has that amount of self-control." I thought he wouldn't was any time trying to take us out.

"I believe that it was more than his arrogance that caused him to flee from this confrontation."

"Like what? I thought that Shinji was being his usual arrogant self and thought he was so superior that we weren't even worth the effort of fighting."

"We have his arrogance to thank, and his foolishness for provoking a fight with Sir Gawain."

"Leo's Servant?" I don't remember much about that fight. I guess this means that I was the only one not paying attention the other day.

"Sir Gawain is a very powerful knight. Rider did not come out of that battle unscathed, and I can imagine that the injuries she received would not have healed in a single day."

I didn't even know she got hurt during that fight. I really need to improve my observation skills.

I make use of the healing supplies I bought earlier and continue to train with Saber. After a while we then decide to call it a day.

* * *

><p><strong>Night [Private Room]<strong>

Back at the room, we decide to have a strategy meeting about what to make of Shinji and Rider. Saber rests in his curtained off area of the room where I can't see him. The usual echo in his voice is absent which means that he must have taken off his helmet. I wonder why he won't let me see his face. My thoughts then start to wonder what his face looks like.

"I am surprised though. Her class does not match her fighting style." While my mind got off track Saber continued to talk.

"What do you mean Saber?" I tried to sound like I was paying attention.

"Servants that reside under the Rider class normally use beasts or vehicles to attack, like a chariot driven by divine bulls or a winged horse, this woman however, fights using projectile weapons like an Archer."

"Could Shinji just be lying about his Servant's class?"

"That is a possibility, either way it is best to gather more information about our enemy. The key to defeating our enemy is to find out their true name. 'Know your enemy as well as yourself and a thousand victories shall be yours.' I believe that someone from Asia once said that."

Funny that he would say that because I still don't know anything about myself, and even less about Saber.

"Well, there isn't much we can do now. Let's start investigating tomorrow. We may get lucky and find out something about Shinji's Servant."

"Very well then. Sleep well, Lady Ailita." I heard the sound of armor clanking on the other side of the curtain. I guess Saber is trying to get comfortable so he could sleep as well.

"Goodnight Saber."

Just as I was about to drift off to sleep, I could hear Saber mumbling to himself. He then lets out a deep sigh.

"I wonder if it is common for men with the surname Matou to become reckless and arrogantly delusional after receiving a small amount of power. He does appear to be easy to fool if one were to know what to say. Although, it seems as though the only thing eating away at this boy's rational thinking is his ego."

I have no idea what Saber is talking about, and right now I'm too tired to ask him right now. I'll just find out in the morning.

* * *

><p><strong>Week: 1<strong>

**Days Remaining: 4**

**Midday [2****nd**** floor]**

When we exit our private room Saber voices his opinion.

"Lady Ailita, it would be best to investigate, not only the Arena for information on our enemy, but on campus as well."

"Any ideas on where to start looking?" There are so many places to look, both on and off campus.

"I believe our first course of action should be to find our enemy." That's as good a start as any I guess.

When we start to walk down the hallway to get to the stairs, a spot of red near the library catches my attention. Only one person I know dresses like that, Rin Tohsaka.

"It seems as though that young lady we met on the roof is having a quarrel with our current opponent. It would be wise to try and find out what they have to say." As usual Saber can't be seen.

I walk closer as quietly as I can so that I can hear what they are saying without being discovered.

"Have you been to the Arena yet? I have to admit that I like the sea theme. Overall this game is pretty well done." Shinji was talking in his usual high and mighty tone.

"I'm surprised that you actually managed to summon a decent Servant. Asia's premier hacker, Shinji Matou." The sarcasm was evident in Tohsaka's voice.

"Listen up. I may have had to put up with you in the past, but this time the winner is me!" I remember hearing that Shinji had asked Tohsaka out and was rejected pretty bad. I guess he still holds a grudge from that. "With Rider's armada to back me up, I'm invincible!"

"Huh, you must be pretty confident to give an enemy that kind of information, Matou. I was under the impression that she was someone from the Wild West and the animal she rode was a horse. Thanks for clearing that up." That's Tohsaka for you. She's the only person I know who could crush Shinji's pride like that. His face turns red when he realizes just how big of a mistake he just made.

"Uh… Y-Yeah, that's right! Fights that are too easy to win are boring. Just think of this as a gift! But I could just be lying. You should just forget what I said." Looks like Shinji is trying desperately to sound cool and cover up his mistake.

"It's true. One vague word won't expose a Servant's true name. However, a Servant that commands an armada and is tied to a ship should narrow down the candidates. How will she attack? Bombardment, or maybe a frontal assault? The attack will definitely be physical in nature."

"Gah…!" Shinji's face goes from an embarrassed shade of red to a terrified shade of white.

"Well, all I have to do is prepare a lot of physical barriers." A cruel smile is evident of how Tohsaka is pleased with the information she just got.

Seems like Shinji just learned the hard way just how important information is.

"There is a saying 'Think twice before speaking once.' However, it seems as though that boy does not even bother to think before speaking." I can hear Saber beside me.

I agree. Information gathered on an enemy can be used to make plans on how to defeat them. I guess it's a good thing that I know so little about my Servant that I can't even give away information by accident like Shinji just did.

"One more thing. I wonder if the Invincible Armada is relevant to anything… People might start making references, right? Won't that piss off your Servant?" Tohsaka continues to taunt Shinji.

"W-Well… Whatever. Knowledge means nothing if you can't do anything about it! You and I might not even end up fighting each other." With that pathetic attempt at a comeback, Shinji turns and starts walking away. Which happens to be the direction that I'm standing in, and because it's hard to hide in an open hallway, Shinji spots me immediately.

"You…! You were there listening the whole time?! W-Well… it's not like you can do anything to stop me. My victory is all but assured. Just don't disappoint me." Shinji walks away.

Tohsaka gives a disappointed sigh. "It seems that there are a lot of Masters that still don't understand what's at stake." I wonder if Tohsaka is talking to me or herself "By the way, Ailita. Normally I'm against the abuse and exploitation of people who are weak and stupid, but if you can shut Shinji up I think I can make an exception." She answers my question as she walks away.

"That young lady in red is right. That boy does not understand how vital information is in battle." Saber says. "Despite what we have recently discovered, we should continue to investigate our enemy. I will assist you in any way I can."

I decide to continue our investigation by heading to the library to look up the 'Invincible Armada' that Tohsaka mentioned.

* * *

><p><strong>Evening [Library]<strong>

I start to look up the term "Invincible Armada". The process to find it was a lot easier than I had expected. I quickly find the information I was looking for.

_The Invincible Armada is the name given to the Spanish navy during what is known as the age of exploration. With over 100 thousand-ton ships and 65,000 crew members, it almost subjugated all of England. Through the might of its navy, Spain was seen as the 'kingdom on which the sun will never set'. _

I take some notes on what I just read and then leave the library. Now that I have some new information on Rider, the only thing to do now is head to the Arena to strengthen up my Servant.

* * *

><p><strong>Night [Private Room]<strong>

After our exploits in the Arena I'm just about ready to call it a day. However, there was something I wanted to talk to Saber about before I forget.

"Hey, Saber."

"Yes Milady, is there something I can help you with?"

"I heard you saying something the other night about how men with the name Matou could be arrogant when given power. Did you know someone named Matou in the past?" There was a few moments of silence. I wonder if my question caught him off guard.

"You needn't worry about it. It is an irrelevant matter."

From the silence that followed, I took that as a hint that Saber wanted to drop the topic.

* * *

><p><strong>Week: 1<strong>

**Days Remaining: 3**

**Morning [2****nd**** Floor]**

While walking through campus, I take in my surroundings. I can see various NPCs, who look just like regular students, among the Masters. I can tell which ones are the NPCs from their slightly darker uniforms, and because their behavior seems off. Maybe it's because of their lack of a soul. To them, this battle is just a string of data variables.

However, out of all of the NPCs and Masters, one person stands out the most. It's Leo in his scarlet outfit that would of looked ridiculous on anyone but him. The force of his presence overwhelms his seemingly innocent appearance. Leo suddenly turns to face me.

"Oh, hello again Miss Furude." He gives me a warm bright smile without a hint of malice. Like one you would expect of a child.

"Uh… Hi, Leo."

Standing behind Leo is Gawain, clad in his shining silver armor. Now that I am seeing him up close, I can tell that he has the same aura of strength as his Master

"Good day Miss." As the shining Servant nods in greeting, an enigmatic smile forms on his lips. Gawain looks like a mature older adult with short, almost curly blond hair and aqua eyes. He wears shining white armor with a flower design on it. His appearance is the embodiment of the term 'knight in shining armor', but he still has a feeling of superiority like his Master.

Leo still seems completely unconcerned about revealing his Servant's identity. It's obvious that he chooses not to concern himself with things such as subtlety or tactics. For him, if something is destined to be revealed, then so be it. From his point of view, his victory is all but assured; his superiority over others reinforced every day since he was born.

"I must take my leave now. I hope to see you again. Please fight with honor and pride." With a polite bow, Leo and Gawain turn and depart, leaving me somewhat dumbfounded. I have no idea if he wanted something, or just decided to be friendly by saying hello. I can tell however, that Leo has little concern for people like me and the other Masters.

I then decide to take advantage of the information Leo has given me. By knowing his Servant's name, it should be easy to find out all about his strengths and weaknesses.

"Hey, Saber, I think we should head for the library. We can see if there is anything we might have missed about Shinji's Servant. There is also a possibility that Leo might be our enemy one day so it won't do us any harm to look into Gawain's background as well." My statement is only met with silence.

* * *

><p><strong>Midday [Library] <strong>

We head to the library to find out more about Gawain and Shinji's Servant. As soon as I open the door I find Shinji standing there as if he was waiting for me.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in. I never expected to see you here." An obvious lie. "Oh, who am I kidding?! Hahaha! I'm just messing with you. The library is the best place to find information. I already know all about you, so I expect you to go all out against me. But enough about me. It looks like you are having some trouble finding the books you want. Unfortunately for you, I've already taken every book about my Servant and hid them!" How immature can you get? "I thought you would have more fun this way. If you want to know where they are them find them yourself, loser! By the way, what does your Servant want in return for helping you? Money, right? I knew it!" Shinji lets out his usual obnoxious laughter. "Do your best, while you still can. Hahahahaha!" Still laughing like an idiot, Shinji leaves the library.

"I understand that it is vital that your enemy does not find out about your Servant, but to use such underhanded and disgraceful methods. That boy has no dignity" Saber's annoyance can be heard in his voice.

"I know what you mean. I knew Shinji was immature, but this is a new low."

Since Shinji hid all of the books on his Servant, we might as well look up Leo's Servant while we are here. I walk up to the girl at the reception desk and ask her if there are any books on Sir Gawain.

"Wow, everyone sure seems interested in that particular hero. I think you're the thirty-first or thirty-second person to ask me that today." I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Leo announced his Servant's name in a cafeteria full of other Masters. It's only natural to take advantage of such valuable information. "I'm sorry to tell you this, but every book related to Gawain has been checked out already."

"Oh, ok. Well, thanks anyway."

"No problem. If you have any questions, feel free to ask."

I let out a deep sigh. When I look to my left I see a nearby table. I walk over to sit down and one of the chairs at the table pulled out before me. At first I was a little freaked out that something was moving on its own, and then I remembered that Saber was still with me.

"T-Thank you." I got a quiet 'My pleasure' as a reply. I know Saber means well, but it is still a little unnerving when it looks like an inanimate object is moving on its own. I sit down and ponder what to do next. So far we are not getting anywhere with our information gathering today. Shinji hid all the books on his Servant and the other Masters have beaten me to information on Gawain. I let out a sigh and start to stand up. We might as well begin our scavenger hunt for the books that Shinji hid.

"Lady Ailita." For some reason Sabers voice sounded hesitant. "I believe I can personally provide you with information on Sir Gawain's background." I perked up at that.

"Really? If you can tell me anything that would really help, Saber." Saber stayed silent for a moment before I heard his deep voice again.

"Sir Gawain is one of the Knights of the Round Table mentioned in the Legends of King Arthur and he is King Arthur's nephew. It is said that his prowess rivaled that of King Arthur's and his holy sword was equal in power to Excalibur, he also served as an advisor to King Arthur. He was at odds with another of King Arthur's knights due to his slaying of both of Gawain's brothers. Due to his overwhelming nobility and youthful impetuousness, he placed his family ties above all else. It was Sir Gawain's hatred of that one knight that led to his eventual downfall. It was in the battle of Camlann that Sir Gawain fell, slain by the knight he hated so much."

The tone in Saber's voice made it sound like he was telling a sad tale of a tragic hero. It almost sounded like he was remembering something painful himself. Instead of thinking about what Saber told me about Gawain, all I could think about was how melancholy Saber sounded right now.

"Are you alright, Saber?"

"I am fine, Lady Ailita, but I appreciate your concern." Saber's reply was quick. A thought suddenly struck me.

"If you don't mind me asking, how do you know so much about Gawain? You explained him in quite a bit of detail."

Saber remained silent for a few moments. I was starting to wonder if he would give me an answer at all before he finally spoke up.

"The Legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table is a particularly well known story where I am from. At the time it was unheard of for one to not know of the name King Arthur, or being unable to name even one of the Knights of the Round Table. A true knight must also always excel in his education, putting forth his best effort in all his school works."

I think I understand. Saber calls himself a knight and acts like a gentleman. I guess it's understandable that someone like him would be interested in the story of chivalrous knights. I guess he must have grown up listening to the stories of King Arthur, and that's why he knows so much.

"Does that mean that you are from Britain?" If I recall, King Arthur's legend was particularly famous around that area.

"Actually, the land that I hail from is best known in modern times as the country of France." That bit of information surprised me. Before I can ask him anything else, Saber spoke up.

"I believe it would be in our best interest to locate the whereabouts of the books that boy hid while there is still daylight. He did not specify their location, and there are many places to look."

I can tell that Saber really wanted to drop the topic about himself. He does have a point thought that we need to find those books that Shinji hid. I stand up from my chair ad walked toward to door. I guess I can let him get away with it today. After all, not only did I learn something about one of our enemies, but I managed to learn something about Saber as well.

* * *

><p><strong>Evening [Chapel Gardens]<strong>

We pretty much turned the campus upside-down by the time the sun had started to set. The last place I checked was the chapel. When I walked inside, I saw that there was nobody there, except for two women. One had short, light blue hair with matching eyes, and glasses. The other had long scarlet hair with matching scarlet eyes. When I absentmindedly asked if the two were sisters, a sudden wave of hatred and murderous intend sent me running for the chapel doors.

When I made it outside, I notice that there is something going on in the garden. When I go take a look, I see that it's just Shinji causing trouble again. Shinji is accompanied by two female NPC's. From what I can tell, it looks like Shinji is being thrown out of the chapel after angering an old man.

"A chapel is a place for quiet reflection. I do not know who your god is, but you should at least know that much."

"Sorry, my bad. I'm an atheist, swear to god!" The old man was clearly not impressed by Shinji's attempt at sounding clever.

"Hmph. I have always believed that the Japanese were polite. I guess I was misled. Leave this place at once. The gates of heaven will forever remain closed to the unbeliever. It appears that in your haste to learn to fight, you forgot to learn dignity and respect." This time it was Shinji's turn to be upset.

"I really hate old geezers like you, always talking down to me! When it comes time to fight, you can bet your ass that I'll be teaching you a lesson old man!"

"He does have a point though, Shinji."

All eyes are on me as I decide to join the conversation.

"Damn Ailita! You're the last person I want to hear from!" Shinji is really yelling now. "That old man and your knight of a Servant are exactly the same! I'll show both of you a thing or two when we fight!" Shinji stormed off with his NPC fan-girls right behind him.

As Shinji left, I turned to the old man and gave an apologetic bow.

"I'm sorry for Shinji's behavior." When I looked back up at him, I could see some satisfaction in his eyes. Probably because my behavior was a nice change from Shinji's.

"Is that boy a friend of yours?"

"No, he is my first round opponent."

"I see… He mentioned that your Servant is a knight." I froze at that. That idiot not only leaks information about himself, but about me as well. Luckily, instead of prying further, the old man simply turns his back to me. "During your battle, I hope you will teach that boy the meaning of respect." With that he walks away.

With nothing else to do, I walk over to a tree in the garden and take a seat under it. There was a nice breeze which helped me calm down. There was still the matter of finding the books that Shinji hid. We looked all over the campus, but haven't found a trace of them. The only place we have not checked yet was the Arena. While I was pondering what to do next, I failed to notice when someone walked up to me.

"Hey there, little lady." The person's voice startled me and I stood up to face him. I took in his appearance. He is a tall and lean young man with grey-green eyes and messy spiky orange hair that partially covers his right eye. His attire consists of green clothing and a dark green cloak, along with bandages on his left arm, and brown boots. From his appearance I can only guess that he is a Servant.

"D-Do you need something?" He looked at me with a friendly expression. He didn't look like he wanted to fight. I don't understand why he would want to talk to me. We are not opponents, so he shouldn't have any reason to interact with me.

"Sorry to startle you. I just happened to overhear that your Servant is a knight." Damn that Shinji for yelling that detail out. I don't know who this Servant's Master is, but I wouldn't be surprised if everyone in the school heard him.

"What about it?"

"I just wanted to ask you something. What do you think about trading Servants?" My eyes widened at the green Servant's statement.

"W-What?!" I wasn't sure what to say to him. I didn't even know that Servants could be traded. "I-I don't think that would work!"

"I think it would work out perfectly. My Master would complain a lot less and gets a Servant that would act as knightly as he wants, and I would end up with the prettiest Master in the Grail War." He spoke as if it were obvious.

I felt my face slightly heat up at the Servant's flattery. I knew what had to be said, but I was somewhat flustered to say it.

"I'm actually fine with the Servant I have." The green Servant looked annoyed at my reply. He then leaned in closer to my face.

"Aw, come on… I can be your knight in shining armor. I can also make sure you win before the battle even starts."

I back away from the green Servant, only to find my back against the tree I was sitting at earlier. He takes a step forward and reaches his hand out towards me, but just as he is about to touch me, another hand tightly grabs his wrist. I look to the side and see Saber standing there fully materialized.

"My Lady has given you her answer. You should also be ashamed of yourself. By making an offer like that, you would be betraying your own Master. If you do not have any other business with my Master, then leave at once." Saber's tone was hard and cold. It made him seem even more intimidating.

The green Servant is slightly startled by Saber's appearance and yanks his arm away, taking a few steps back. Saber moves so that he standing protectively in front of me, separating me from the green Servant. He shoots a glare Saber's way and disappears, leaving Saber and me alone. Saber then turns to face me.

"Are you alright, Lady Ailita?" Saber's voice had returned to its usual gentle tone.

"Yeah, I'm fine Saber."

I was touched by Saber's concern. It made me happy that Saber was the one who was with me.

* * *

><p><strong>[Arena]<strong>

After everything calmed down from our encounter with that green Servant, we headed to the Arena. Of course, the Arena is a big place, so there are a lot of places to look. Along the way, we fought countless Enemy Programs, which Saber can defeat with ease now. I'm also starting to get used to the idea of fighting Enemy Programs.

Almost at the end of the Arena, we find an Item Folder. Inside is and item called the 'Faded Journal'. This must be the book that Shinji was so desperate to make sure we wouldn't find. I was almost surprised at how easy it was to get it.

It appears to be some sort of diary written on sheaves on parchment. It is so old that the ink has begun to fade, but I can make out the name of a ship, the _Golden Hind,_ the names of several islands, and the partial manifests of hijacked ships. This must be the ship's log of a pirate that sailed the high seas. It must have been constructed with a fairly powerful program since Shinji was obviously unable to delete the file and resort to hiding it in the Arena.

"We may not have discovered Rider's true name, but this information shall suffice for now. Hmm? Lady Ailita, is there something troubling you?" I just realized that I had been franticly looking around me.

"Well, since we found the book, I was expecting Shinji to come after us, or at least try to stop us." I looked around, but didn't see any sign of him.

"It is true. That boy continues to disgrace himself. He does not even put effort into guarding something that is vital to his enemies. He merely resorts to childish tricks."

With our mission accomplished, we decide to call it a day and go home.

* * *

><p><strong>Night [Private Room]<strong>

Back in our room, Saber was in his usual curtained off spot while we talked about the day's events.

"Do you think Shinji was serious when he said that he knew who we are in the library?"

"I do not think so. Neither you, nor I have said anything that would give away my true identity."

"That's good to know. Even if Shinji did know, he would probably have spread it all over the school by now."

"That is a possibility. He would have revealed my true name to every enemy Master. Intentional or not. Either way, with the information we have gathered today, all we have to do now is to continue training in order to prepare for the upcoming battle. It would be best for you to get a good night's rest so that we can immediately begin our exploits in the Arena tomorrow."

"Fair enough."

"Sleep well, Lady Ailita."

As I lie awake a thought suddenly crossed my mind. I noticed that Saber seems to talk more when it's just the two of us. I wonder if He's just shy or something.

Another thought crossed my mind… Does that guy sleep in his armor or what?

* * *

><p><strong><em>Lush, inviting, and in full bloom.<em>**

**_The innocence of nature can hide a darkness we do not see. _**

**_The anxiety of ignorance can lead us down paths we should not take. _**

**_An appeal made by youth, but governed by death. _**

**_A journey to the beyond curtailed by fear. _**

**_The rain washes away the facade, _**

**_and leaves only the question of accountability._**

* * *

><p><strong>Remember that reviews keep me motivated. :D<strong>


	7. Avaritiae (Greed)

**A/N: The poll on whether I will choose to take on Rani or Rin as a sidekick is still on my profile. So far the score is:**

**Rin: 14**

**Rani: 10**

**Remember that your wonderful reviews are what motivate me to keep writing. :D**

**Please forgive me for the poor fight scene up ahead.**

* * *

><p><strong>Week: 1<strong>

**Days Remaining: 2**

**Morning [1****st**** Floor]**

Today I decided to go to the Arena early so we could get some extra training done. I make sure I have plenty of healing supplies and head towards the doors that lead to the Arena.

However, the moment I tried to enter the Arena, it felt like I ran into a wall and was flung backwards. It seems someone has put up a barrier.

"I can think of only one person who would resort to tactics such as this." I can hear Saber behind me.

"Hey there! Looks like you've been hitting the Arena pretty hard. Toughen up yet?" Speak of the devil. I turn around to find Shinji, looking a smug as ever. "I was bored, so I decided to set up a few little surprises here and there." I glare at him.

"Can you be any more immature?" I have seriously had it with Shinji's antics.

"No reason to look so mad. I'm actually doing bottom feeding Masters like you favor. The Arena is a dangerous place. If you want to enter the Arena, you'll have to track down two magic sigils I set up. However, once you make it into the Arena, I'll crush you like a cockroach. Show up if you dare." Shinji then turns around. "See you later. Oh, and where are the sigils, you ask? Find them yourself, loser!" With a smug look on his face he walks away.

I am seriously ready to kick that guy's ass. I'm also not the only one annoyed at Shinji.

"That boy never ceases to wear down on my patience. When the time comes, I am more than willing to reprimand him for his behavior and manner of speech. Lady Ailita, I am afraid we must play along with his game for now." From Saber's voice I can tell that he is just about as pissed off at Shinji as I am.

I agree with Saber. I can almost overlook the fact that I will eventually have to fight Shinji.

"I will _not_ lose to that dork." There's only so much immaturity and verbal abuse I can take!

* * *

><p><strong>Midday [2<strong>**nd**** Floor]**

Finding those sigils was so easy it was almost disappointing.

The first one was especially easy because just as I was about to walk up the stairs to start my search, Sakura walks up to me saying that Shinji left something in her office. I guess Shinji thought hiding a sigil there was a good idea.

The second sigil was in probably the dumbest place Shinji could have possibly hidden it… in his OCD neat desk in the second floor classroom we used during the preliminaries.

With that event over I head downstairs to use the sigils and try to make up for all the time we wasted with this little scavenger hunt by training in the Arena.

* * *

><p><strong>Night [Private Room]<strong>

After a day of training hard in the Arena, I'm happy to call it a day.

"That boy is definitely on edge around you. It seems as though he finally sees you as a threat to be taken seriously."

"If he sees me as a threat then I wish he wouldn't keep provoking me like this." I'm seriously at the end of my rope with Shinji's antics.

"I agree completely. Regardless, the only thing we can do now is to continue our training and prepare for the Elimination Battle."

* * *

><p><strong>Week: 1<strong>

**Days Remaining: 1**

**Morning [Library]**

Since this morning I have been in the library. I decided to get up early to do some last minute research on Rider and the Golden Hind before Shinji could find a new way to get in my way and annoy me.

While talking with some of the other Masters in the school, I got mixed opinions about my upcoming fight with Shinji. Some people were telling me that I was dead because Shinji is a famous gamming champion. The other half of the people I talked to said that I lucked out getting paired against Shinji because he is an arrogant idiot.

My research on Rider yielded better results.

_The Golden Hind_

_A 16__th__ century English galleon. Originally named "Pelican", the ship's name was changed to reflect the crest of its chief benefactor. Many accounts place it at the location of a number of raids against Spanish shipping interests. _

* * *

><p><strong>Midday [2<strong>**nd**** Floor]**

As I exit the library, I notice Shinji at the end of the hall. It looks like he's talking to Tohsaka again. Hasn't that guy learned his lesson from the first time Tohsaka crushed his pride? I decide to stay out of sight and listen in on what they are saying. Who knows? Tohsaka might reveal something else useful about him and his Servant for me.

"My my my… Did he manage to do that to you? It seems that your reputation is grossly inflated." Tohsaka says in a mocking tone as she smiles cruelly at Shinji.

"What!? I-I threw that fight in the cafeteria on purpose! I thought I'd throw them a bone. My Servant will blast them full of holes soon enough!"

"Oh, how thoughtful of you. I take it the scared look on your face is just an act then? You suck. Furude and her Servant are clearly better than you and you know it." I'm not sure if Tohsaka really thinks that highly of me, or if she is just trying to piss off Shinji even more.

"Shut up! The power of my Rider's culverin is unrivaled! I can rip anyone to shreds in an instant!" Now Shinji is sounding like a child having a tantrum.

"A culverin, you say? It certainly must be… strong. Your precious embodiment of evil, that is."

"Just you wait! As soon as I mop the floor with Ailita and her Servant, I'm coming for you and Leo next! When it comes time for us to fight, it'll be too late to beg for mercy." Shinji storms away. This time I'm more careful to stay out of sight.

"Unfortunately, I don't believe that we'll ever get the chance to face one another." Tohsaka says this quietly to herself as she walks away.

With my research complete, the only thing left to do is head to the Arena for some last minute training. It's still early in the day, but I want to make up for the time I wasted on Shinji's stupid scavenger hunt the other day.

* * *

><p><strong>Night [Private Room]<strong>

Tonight is the last night before the Elimination Battle.

"Today is the final day before the Elimination Battle. Be warned that no matter how incompetent that boy is, it would not be wise to underestimate his Servant." I can't see Saber's face, but he sounds more composed than I could ever hope to be right now.

I'm not really in to mood to talk tonight. I'm not even sure I'll be able to fall asleep tonight. I can't stop thinking about the fact that tomorrow, either Shinji or I will die.

Desperate to distract myself from the topic, I look at Saber's parameters on my terminal.

Strength: C

Endurance: D

Agility: D

Magic: E

Luck: E

It looks like training every day in the Arena has finally yielded some results. The question now is if they are high enough to defeat Rider tomorrow.

I can't hear anything from Saber's side of the room so I assume he must have fallen asleep already. I guess being a Heroic Spirit, going off to battle is nothing new for someone like him.

Another thought crossed my mind. This might also be the last night I have with Saber…

* * *

><p><em>I can feel a gentle breeze against my cheeks. <em>

_I open my eyes to take in my surroundings. _

_Neither a single star, nor cloud can be seen in the night sky. The only thing that contrasted with the dark satin sky was the moon. It's silver glow gently illuminating the land._

_The moon reflected beautifully on the mirrored surface of a lake. The lake was surrounded on all sides by a wall of tall trees._

_The area looked tranquil and completely untouched by man. The sight was not something that even a master artist could create on a canvas, nor could the most skilled poet put into words._

_There is a disturbance in the water, and my eyes are drawn towards the source._

_There was a man standing up to his knees in the dark water. He was facing the reflection of the moon in the center of the lake. _

_With his back facing me, his face could not be seen. His long dark hair was lightly being carried by the wind. His back is covered in armor that reflects the glow of the moon even more beautifully than the lake. By his side was a long sword in its scabbard._

_Something about this man seemed so lonely and sad. His hands are clenched into tight fists and his head was bowed down as if in penitence._

_I can't see the man's face, but for some reason I can tell that he is crying._

_I reach out my hand and try to call out to him, but as soon as I open my mouth…_

_…my vision fades to white._

* * *

><p><strong>Week: 1<strong>

**Days Remaining: 0**

**Evening [Private Room]**

I wake up from the strange dream I just had. I see my hand stretched out before me. Just like when I was about to call out to that mysterious man in my dream. I sit up in bed and try to gather my thoughts. Why would I have a dream like that, and who was that man? The dream felt so real to me that I couldn't just dismiss it as nothing. It made me wonder if there was some kind of meaning behind it.

"Good morning, Lady Ailita. I hope that you have slept well." Saber's calm voice calls me back to reality. I look to my right and I see Saber kneeling beside my bed.

"Morning, Saber." I look at my terminal and I'm shocked to find out that it's already evening. I cannot believe that I slept in this late!

"Saber, why didn't you wake me up sooner?!" Saber's gaze follows me as I scramble out of bed and put on my uniform jacket.

"Forgive me, Lady Ailita, but there is still a fair amount of time before our Elimination battle." At that, I stop rushing to put my shoes on and turn to look at Saber. "I also noticed that you have been more anxious than usual. I was worried it would affect your health, so I thought it would be best to let you get as much sleep as possible." Saber then stands up and turns to face me. "Kotomine also stopped by while you were asleep to inform us that as soon as we are prepared, we should meet him on the first floor."

I was touched by Saber's concern. However, he did remind me about a very pressing issue.

The Elimination is today. A day that will be the last for either Shinji or myself. Will someone really die today? I mean… Even though I can say the words, the idea that someone's going to die is just too surreal. It can't be reality. With everything I have read and heard over the past week I think I now have a pretty good idea about who Rider is and what to expect. But I'm still not mentally prepared to take someone's life.

"Lady Ailita, are you afraid?" I look down as I give Saber my answer.

"Yes." I would be lying if I said I wasn't. "I'm afraid of taking someone's life. But even more than that, I'm afraid that I might die. I guess I must seem like a coward for being afraid to fight." For a battle veteran like him, a scared little girl must seem pathetic.

"Actually, it is nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, it would be a problem if you did not have any fear."

"Huh?" Saber then walks up to me and places his large armor covered hand on my shoulder. I look up at him.

"My king once said, 'A man without fear cannot be wise'. Being afraid allows you to recognize the dangers around you, and prevents you from being reckless. The fear of death is a very natural instinct. If anyone was in your position where they are placed in an unfamiliar environment and put under adverse conditions, it would be unnatural if they did not express the slightest bit of anxiety. Fear is also very essential for survival." His voice then took a more gentle tone. "It was also the fear of your life ending that allowed you to summon me in the first place."

All I could do was look up at where Saber's face would be through his helmet. What he is saying makes sense. The main reason that I have a contract with Saber is because of my fear of my life ending. It's the reason that I'm alive right now.

Saber then backs away, puts his hand over his heart and bows on one knee.

"I also swear to you on my honor as a knight, that I shall ensure our victory in the Holy Grail War. I also promise you that I shall be by your side to protect you. No matter what difficulties we may encounter in the future. So I implore you to have faith in me."

I am speechless at Saber's declaration. It somehow gave me the strength I desperately needed right now. I may not have known Saber for very long, but from the sincerity in his voice I somehow knew that he would keep his word.

I turn away from Saber and head towards the door. All right. This is the very first Elimination Battle. I will have to fight Shinji on the battlefield. I'm still afraid, but I have faith in the man who swore to protect me.

"Let's go, Saber."

* * *

><p><strong>[1<strong>**st**** floor]**

I see Kirei Kotomine standing in front of a door. The door seemed to be glowing and covered in chains.

"You will now enter the Coliseum and confront the opposing Master. Are you ready? Remember, the only way to leave the Coliseum is to win. If you are ready, I will open the gate."

"I'm ready as I'll ever be."

"I wish you the best of luck and hope that you will return. Remember: It's kill, or be killed."

The door opens and I walk inside.

* * *

><p><strong>[Elevator]<strong>

I was surprised to find an elevator when I walked through the door. Saber materializes next to me, but we were not alone. Shinji and Rider were standing on the other side of the elevator. We were kept apart by what appears to be a clear glass-like wall.

Unfortunately, the glass is not sound proof…

"Look who didn't chicken out and run away. Oh right, I forgot that your only redeeming quality is following directions."

Shinji continues to run his mouth. This is going to be a _long_ elevator ride.

"Hey, Saber. Can your helmet block out anything he is saying?"

"Unfortunately no." Oh well. At least I'm not suffering alone here. Shinji still can't tell that I just want him to shut the hell up and continues to talk.

"Well, you can't say I didn't show you how awesome I was in the prep period. Never in a million years are you going to defeat me. You should have run away when you had the chance!" All he managed to show me was how immature he is.

"I won't know unless I try." I glare defiantly at him. Shinji looks upset and walks up to me.

"Excuse me? That's some bull! Did you forget that you never got the best of me at school, like, ever?! How many times do you losers have to be reminded that you'll never be on the level of a genius like me? But, I guess I better get used to it, since nobody here can defeat me. My Servant El Draque and I are completely invincible." Shinji starts pacing back and forth with his arms crossed. "Man, you've got some seriously shitty luck to have gotten paired with _me_ in the first round. Don't worry. Since we're such good friends, I'll make sure you go out with a bang." Shinji suddenly stops. "Oh, hey! Check out my great idea! You've gotta hear this. Ready?"

"Sure, why not." I have a feeling he will tell me no matter what I say, and it's not like I have any way to block out the guy's voice.

"Always a goody-two shoes, gotta love it. Well, I hope you'll take one more direction. …Why not lose on purpose this time? Anything else is a waste of time. Even a landslide victory against you will cost me energy. Even decided battles like this one still are unfair because the victor has to waste their strength. That sounds lame, so do me a favor and just throw the match." Did he _really_ just propose that?

"Does your depravity know no bounds?" Saber's dislike of Shinji is continuing to grow. I can't blame him. Shinji then turns his attention to Saber.

"Shut up! I wasn't talking to you." Shinji turns his attention back to me and softens his tone. "Listen, Ailita, all you have to do is forfeit the fight. Then I win, and you don't get hurt, see? What do you think? Makes total sense, right? And you can even feel all warm and fuzzy for helping me out! And there's something in it for you, right? Because if we fought for real, there's no way my Servant will hold back. Hell, I'll even throw in some of the prize money I'll win. All I want is the title, anyway. Come on, is this a great idea or a great idea?"

"Hell no."

"Did you really just propose that laughable plan? This is a grave offence to my honor."

"You really want to fight me, huh? *Sigh* …You're a freaking idiot. I feel sorry for you. All this new power at your disposal is giving you an inflated ego. Hey, Servant. Why don't you try talking some sense into the head of your stupid Master?"

"I would say that Lady Ailita has proven herself to be a far more praiseworthy Master than you could ever hope to be, and someone like you is in no position to speak in such a haughty attitude."

"Whaaa…?! How dare you speak to me like that! You're just a Servant!" He actually sounds surprised that Saber insulted him like that. Shinji now looks desperate for a comeback. "So what does your Servant want in return? Money, right? He's no better than my Servant!"

I then realized that Saber never did tell me what he wanted from the Grail. I may not know Saber very well, but I'm sure that someone like him wouldn't have a wish that petty.

"Do not compare me to that covetous pirate of yours. I am an empty shell whose many resolves have been burned clean. There is nothing I desire." The gloomy edge in his voice is back as he said that.

"Man, he is so boring." Shinji says that pretty bluntly.

"At least I have a Master that I can take pride in protecting."

"Hahaha, they have a point, Master."

"H-Hey?! Whose side are you on?!" Shinji then turns his attention to Rider, who had been silent until now.

"Your side, of course. You paid me, so I'll fight for you. Letting them throw the match wouldn't satisfy either of us. I dislike giving less than my full effort. Let your winning instincts take over. Everything's better if you fight for it: food, women, and victory. Besides, we're villains. That means if nothing else we're allowed to be flashy. If you're going to be a villain, might as well be as flamboyant as you please. Don't hold back."

"I'm not a villain! Don't call me that, you, you… evil woman!"

"Hahaha! Temper, temper, little one! You've got big balls for being such a tiny man. I admire that."

"Hey, stop! I said stop! Don't pat my head you baboon! And you reek of alcohol!"

…They're perfect for each other. Rider is kind of like a wild big sister to Shinji. I know Masters and Servants are paired by compatibility. Will their chemistry be constructive in battle?

The elevator rumbles to a halt. This must be where we're going.

The elevator doors open.

"…Hmph. I was going to spare your life if you surrendered. But since _everybody_ insists, I'll show you the vast differences in our abilities until you cry for mercy. Once El Draque's culverin makes Swiss cheese out of you, it'll be too late!"

* * *

><p><strong>[First Chimeric Lunar Sea]<strong>

The moment I exit the elevator, the scent of saltwater invades my senses. I take in my surroundings and note that there is a sunken ship, along with some wooden barrels that are suspended in midair. The Arena makes it seem as though we are submerged to the ocean floor, yet I can't feel any water. I mentally note that this type of setting suites my opponent well.

"I never imagined that I would do battle in an environment such as this. Regardless of the environment, dealing with barbarians from the sea is something that I am accustomed to." Saber says as his sword appears.

"All bark and no bite. Right? That's what they say, isn't it? Well, that's you and your Servant! I'm gonna humiliate you so bad that after this game that you'll never crawl out of your mom's basement!"

"Oh, so your goal isn't just victory, but humiliation? What a greedy little boy you are, Shinji. Very well, I'll bring the rope for you to truss them up. Tie them to the mast or whatever your little heart desires."

"Don't slip up Rider, don't you turn on me either, and finally, don't even think about showing them a shred of mercy, El Draque! They should have backed down when they could."

"Trust me; there was never a time I showed mercy. I have a thirst for the finer things in life, and that is all I care for. I may not always have good fortunes, but with humans or bombs, there's a certain fatal inevitability to life." Rider steps forward and her dual pistols appear. "Alright, Saber… Let's begin the wild hunt!"

Rider fires a few shots at me, but the bullets are blocked by Saber's materialized sword.

"Lady Ailita, stay behind me!" Saber stands protectively in front of me. He then charges at Rider and brings his sword down. Rider barely raises her pistols in time to stop Saber's sword from crashing down on her.

I could tell that Rider was struggling to push back Saber's attack. Rider backs away and tries to counter with a gunshot, but Saber suddenly vanishes and reappears behind her ready to separate her torso from the rest of her body. I guess all that training in the Arena is finally paying off.

"I guess I'm beat. You got behind me with such ease. There's no way I can shoot you down like this." Despite what Rider said, she doesn't seem very worried as she jumps out of the way.

Saber lashes out with his sword again. Rider blocks it with her pistol, but the force of Saber's attack pushes her back a few meters. Rider then clutches her left arm. The strength behind Saber's last attack must have broken her arm.

If it comes down to raw strength then Saber should win this fight. Saber charges again at Rider. This time she fires aiming for Saber's chest, but the bullets simply bounce off of Saber's armor.

"What's wrong, Rider? If this continues then it shall be my sword that ends this fight."

Seeing that her bullets won't even slow him down, Rider shows a hint of distress. Rider then jumps out of the way to avoid being hacked in two by Saber.

"Damn… That Servant of yours really _is_ a monster." I was so enraptured with the battle before me that I forgot about Shinji. He seems only mildly concerned. "But still… he'd better watch his step." Shinji then hold his outstretched hand in front of him. I know I'm not going to like this.

Suddenly the ground beneath Saber's feet began to glow and electrical currents shoot into him.

"What?!" The electrical currents then take the form of chains and bind Saber's arms and legs, causing him to fall to his knees.

"Saber!" I call out to him, but he can't even turn his head to look at me.

"I-I can't move…!" With Saber immobilized, Shinji and Rider seem more confident. All I can do is just stand there and watch.

"Hahaha! How do you like that? What I just used is called a Code Cast. It's a type of highly advanced hacking that only skilled magi can use. That being said, it's impossible for someone like Ailita to stop it! Now, hurry up and finish them off, Rider!" Rider's face forms a cruel smile.

"Well… since my bullets can't even dent that armor, let me show you my ship, Saber!"

With a gust of water a giant golden ship appears. This must be the 'Golden Hind' that I read about. Behind it was a navy of smaller ships made of wood. With the Golden Hind acting as the core, it expands countless small crafts. Rider is seen standing on the figurehead of the Golden Hind.

"Weren't you saying something about how your sword would end this fight, Saber? Well it looks like my cannons will end this with a bang! Remember my name by the death from my passing! Temeroso el Draque! I am the woman who set the sun! You rascals, it's time! The king of storms, a swarm of ghosts, this is the beginning of the Golden Wild Hunt!"

At Rider's command, three large cannons on the Golden Hind fire as the rest of the ships provide supporting fire.

Everything seems to go by in slow motion. Right before the attack hits, Saber's shoulders go slack, as if he has resigned himself to his fate. "Lady Ailita… I apologize for not being able to uphold my promise to protect you."

I can hear the regret in Saber's voice. I then realize I can't give up yet! It's not because this means that I would lose to someone like Shinji. It's not because my life is about to end. It's because I can't give up on the only one who has stood by my side and supported me. After all he's done for me, I have to do something to help him!

I raise my left hand and focus on Saber. If I'm supposed to be a mage like Shinji, then I should have the same powers as him. I close my eyes and focus all my energy on Saber. I imagine the chains on him disappearing.

Without opening my eyes, I hear the sound of the cannonballs making contact. I feel something hard crash into me with incredible speed and force, strong enough to knock the wind out of me. I can only assume that it means that Rider's attack has reached me after going through Saber. This means that in the end, what everyone said about me being incompetent was true. This also means that I was unable to thank Saber for the kindness he gave me…

"That was very well done." A deep voice can be heard near my ear.

I open my eyes to see that my face is pressed against something hard and made of metal. When I look up towards the source of the voice I see a man looking down at me with a concerned expression. He had rather pale skin, long dark hair that went past his shoulders, and dark grey eyes that seemed to carry a deep sadness. I have no idea who this man is. I have never seen him before, but he seems so familiar. Another thought that crossed my mind is that he is really handsome.

"I apologize for being so rough with you. The moment you released me from that boy's Code Cast I used all of my strength in order to get you out of harm's way, but I am afraid that I applied too much force, Lady Ailita." I suddenly realized who this man is. Only one person could be that formal at a time like this.

"S-Saber…?"

"Yes Milady? Are you in any pain?"

"N-No, I'm fine. It's just… your… helmet is gone." I suddenly realize that Saber is holding me bridal style. A mixture of emotions passes through me. "Uh… Saber… could you put me down?"

"Ah, my apologies." Saber gently sets me down. "Due to the force of that pirate's last attack, my helmet was blown off."

"Are you hurt?"

"I appreciate your concern, but I have received no major injuries." I take a step back to completely take in Saber's appearance.

The fog that surrounds his armor is still present, but it doesn't cover his face. I guess the fog must be created by his armor. It also looks like Saber wasn't just trying to sound tough when he said that he wasn't hurt because I can't see any injuries on him. In all honesty I'm surprised that only his helmet was knocked off during that last attack.

Seeing that Saber is ok, I then take a look around me. I notice that we are on one of the smaller ships that make up Rider's Armada. I can see the main ship, The Golden Hind in the distance. Considering that they are not coming after us, they must think that Rider's cannons finished us off. This gives us a good chance to launch a counterattack. However, there was one small problem…

"So, Saber… Do you have any ideas on how to bring the fight to them?" It's not like we can just walk over when the ship is floating in the air.

Saber looks down at his left hand. He then turns his gaze to the ship we are standing on, the main ship, then to me. "I do have an ability that should allow us to turn the table on our opponents."

"Really…? How?" I'm currently at a loss as to what we should do next, so anything would be of help right now.

Without giving an explanation, Saber turn his back to me and walks up to the front of the ship. He then puts down is sword and places his hands on the railing of the ship. The tassels on his back also take root on the ship's deck.

Suddenly, something that looks like the black fog that covers Saber's armor permeates from his hands and starts to quickly cover the ship. It slowly changes as the brown wood of the ship is tainted with a dark color as red lines invade the ship and multiply like the veins on a leaf. The dark fog spreads past me and covers the rest of the ship. I then take a look around me. The ship, now covered in black and a spider web pattern of red veins, looks alien and repulsive compared to its normal form. It now looks like a ghost ship.

"Saber, what is all this?!" I turn to Saber hoping he will give me some form of explanation. I have no idea what he's doing, or plans to do right now.

I nearly lose my footing as the ship now starts to move towards the main ship. I grab onto the ship's mast to keep myself standing. Saber still has his back to me as he steers the ship.

"I can make use of anything that classifies as a weapon… including the weapons of others." My eyes widen at that. I had no idea he could do something like that. I'm not sure of all the details, but I think it's amazing how he can take possession of something that only Rider is supposed to control and used it against her. I guess a war ship also counts as a weapon.

Looking at Saber's back I then realize something important. I realize that Saber is the same person I saw in my dream last night. He just had to be. His appearance matches perfectly to what I saw in my dream. This caused so many thoughts to enter my mind. How could I dream about what Saber looks like under his helmet if I have never seen it before now?

"Lady Ailita, prepare yourself, for we have almost reached the main ship." Saber's words snap me out of my thoughts as we come up behind the golden ship.

As we approach the main ship, I can overhear Shinji talking with his Servant. In a way I'm not surprised that I can hear him from this distance.

"Dammit! I can't believe that my Code Cast was undone by Ailita of all people! Rider! This is only the first battle and you're already slacking off! Now's not the time to let up on them! Don't let this happen again!" I spot Rider casually leaning against the ship's mast and drinking a bottle of beer and looking pretty relaxed.

"Ah, geez… Take it easy. They're gone now."

Without warning, the cannons from the ship we are riding fire at the main ship. There are pitch black with black smoke trailing behind them. The force of the impact knocks Shinji and Rider off their feet. Two gaping holes are now in the Golden Hind.

Saber steers the smaller ship to the main boat and we jump on. As soon as Saber lets go of the ship it returns to normal. I decided this was a good time to sound cool and make a comeback.

"Hate to break it to you, but you haven't won this battle yet Shinji!"

"A-Ailita?! That's impossible! You can't be here! You were hit with that last attack!"

"Your Servant was recovering from her injuries that were received during your skirmish with Sir Gawain. If you had chosen your fights more wisely then your Servant would have been at full strength. You also failed to train with your Servant. Only trying to hinder your opponent with childish tricks while we made use of our time to grow stronger." As Saber says this he stands protectively in front of me with his sword in hand.

Rider stands up on shaky legs to confront us. It looks like our attack did some real damage on her. She is clutching her broken arm, small cuts can be seen on her face, and a gash on her right leg is bleeding.

"It did take all my strength to endure your attacks earlier. By the way, _Handsome_, it's not very nice to ride a boat free of charge."

"The boatman shall earn his pay soon enough. That is the price for those who would do harm to my Mistress. I just hope that your greed has caused to save up enough money for the trip. On another note, you have my sympathies for having that boy as a Master. Your bad luck shall now take its toll."

This time it is Rider who seems to have resigned to her fate as she lets out a sigh.

"I'll admit this has been fun. It would have been better if I was drunk. It's good when you have a fine Master, but being picky is boring. Testing fate with the luck you don't have is the greatest thrill." Rider readies her pistols with a crazed expression. She's ready to risk everything.

Saber and Rider charge at each other. The next blow will decide this battle. With the extent of Rider's injuries from the cannon blast she is unable to defend herself from Saber's sword.

Time seems to go by at a snail's pace as Saber's sword pierces Rider's body and slashes her from her left shoulder to the right side of her stomach. Rider looks at Shinji as if she wants to say something to him, but she just falls to the ground with a sickening thud. With its captain defeated, the Invincible Armada disappears. I suddenly find myself standing on the same underwater seabed as when the battle began.

"Wh-What the hell?! How did my Servant defeated?! No matter how you look at it, I'm the best! At everything! I can't lose in the first round! I'm not inferior to anyone!" Shinji starts yelling. Almost like he can't comprehend what just happened. Since he fails to see himself as the reason for his defeat, he takes his anger out on Rider.

"Th-That's right, it's all your fault Rider! Yeah, it has to be… I ended up with a useless Servant! Dammit! For me to lose in the first round! This game is stupid! STUPID!"

"…Huh? Flogging a waterlogged sailor, are we? It won't reverse your fortunes, Master." Rider's breathing was shallow as she managed to speak.

"If you've got the energy to talk back, then go fight! There's no way I'm losing this!"

"Hmm, I don't think that's happening. Did you forget that I've been slashed in the heart? I'm going to disappear."

"Say what?! You think you can run away and leave me here? I lost because of you!"

"…My fault? Perhaps. Or it could have been carelessness. Or a lack of tenacity, luck, ability, etc… Well, whatever. Fortune is fickle and fate is what we make of it. We lost for a reason. We may be strong, but we didn't have what it takes to win."

"Why are you making it sound like somebody else's problem? I did what I'm supposed to do! I'm the best! It wasn't supposed to go like this. You ruined everything by becoming my Servant! Useless! Damn it! I can't believe I lost! This game sucks! Suuucks!" Shinji's tantrum makes him seem like a small child that didn't get his way. I can even start to see tears forming in his eyes. It's almost too pathetic to look at.

"Shinji, calm down! The fight is over. We should try to figure out a way to get out of here." I try pleading with Shinji. The match may be over, but we still have to find a way to escape the Moon Cell. I feel a hand grip my shoulder. I turn around to find Saber with a sympathetic look on his face.

"It is over, Lady Ailita. I am afraid that your words are wasted on someone like him. Now that the battle has been decided we should return to the campus immediately. This scene has become too unsightly to watch. That boy shall never again pose a threat to us. As for Rider, a hanging would be appropriate for a pirate, but now I have nothing but pity for her." Saber seems almost in a hurry to get me to leave.

"Hey… W-Wait! Hey! Ailita!" Shinji calls out desperately. "How about you declare that I won the battle? B-B-Because, you know, you just won this battle by accident! There's a 100% chance you'll lose in the second round. But I'll win it for sure. Think about it. Isn't it better for one of us to keep winning than for both of us to go down when you to lose in the next round? Can't you see the equation? I'm saying I'll share the Holy Grail with you!"

"Cut it out, Shinji. You've lost and you know it. You can't change what happened." There is nothing but pity in Rider's voice.

"Shut up! We lost because of YOU! What makes you think you have the right to act so bossy?!

Shinji then turns to face us and points an accusing finger at me.

"Don't think that just because you won you can act all cocky! Listen up! Because I'm only going to say this once! When I go home and find out who you are I'm gonna-!"

Suddenly an orange digital wall comes down. Slicing off Shinji's outstretched right hand, and effectively separating me and Shinji. The sound of the wall coming down is similar to that of a condemned man's prison door slamming shut. There is no blood from the injury. Only a black and purple spot where Shinji's arm should be. Shinji lets out a strangles cry as his arms, legs and torso gradually dissolve into blackness.

"Shinji!" I cry out. As the rest of Shinji's body starts to darken, and erode away.

"My arm! My body it's! What's happening?! M-My body is disappearing?! What's going on?! I've never logged out like this!"

"In a war the loser is the one who dies… Shinji, you're my Master, so you must have heard." I turn to see Rider starting to disappear the same way as her Master.

"D-Die… But, just our avatars get erased, right? There's no way you can DIE in a virtual world…For electronic brains to die, is that really…?"

"It can still die, right? That is the fate of those who go to war. You lose, you die. This is a 'war', not a 'game'. Most everyone who joins this war ends up dead. Roughly speaking, when you came here you put your life on the line. It is a rule that only the winner of the Holy Grail War can return alive."

"What… No… It's too late to tell me something that! This is supposed to be a game right?! RIGHT?! Aaagh… Wh-Why isn't this stopping?!" Shinji really starts to panic as the gravity of what he has gotten himself into finally hits him hard.

"C-Can't you stop this?! Do something Rider! Isn't a Servant supposed to save their Master?!"

"If it was easy to break the rules, they wouldn't have created them in the first place. But, well… the good and bad are both sent off to another world in the end. It's nothing to complain about."

"Acting like you know so much…! Aren't you ashamed at all?! First you lose… and now this…?!"

"Hmm? Am I ashamed? Of course I am. I'm so disgusted with myself that I could throw up.

"But, remember what I told you when we first made our contract, boy? I said 'are you ready?' Whether we win or lose, at the time of your death you must laugh at all the bad memories rather than feel sad… Am I wrong? A villain's final moments are laughably miserable!" His Servant gives a hearty laugh, even as her body is being erased by the system.

"Considering all the things you've done, this isn't such a bad death. Just let yourself go, Shinji." Rider turns to face us and gives us a pained smile.

"And you guys over there, let's hear some laughter, huh? It's sad when a clown doesn't get a laugh. May the rest of your journey go well. I'd like it if you ended up stronger than me. In life, I fought against military ships. It's against my nature to enjoy fighting weaker opponents." With a forced smile, Rider disappears into black.

As she turned a forced smile my way, the female pirate disappeared. She was a great navigator, and the first person to circumnavigate the world. And she went out laughing. Now that she's gone… Shinji must know what his fate is.

"H-Hey! Who gave you permission to disappear like that?! You've gotta help me! Don't leave me! Oh.. Oh god…!"

With tears running down his cheeks, Shinji turns to me and puts his remaining hand against the digital wall.

"Ailita! Help me! We're friends right?! Ailita, please save me!" I can't bear to watch this. I admit that Shinji is the biggest pain in the ass I've ever met, but I never wanted something like this to happen to him. Not knowing what else to do, I turn to Saber.

"Saber, there has to be a way to stop this! This isn't how a fight should end!" I bang my fist against the wall in vain.

Saber just closes his eyes and lowers his head, maintaining his usual silence.

"Aaah! I can't feel half of my body! Why does it feel like I'm going to die in real life, too?! What the hell?! This is crazy! Help! I'm really going to die! Ailita, please help me!" Shinji continues to cry out in choked sobs as he falls to his knees. "Even though my real body is only eight years old?! Even knowing this, it's still going to kill me…! I don't want to die yet-!" With a final cry, Shinji is completely erased in the same way as his Servant.

He's gone… The person known as Shinji Matou… that soul… that being… is completely gone. All traces of his existence are gone. All that remains is me, the winner.

And so, round one of the Holy Grail War has come to a close.

* * *

><p><strong>Night [1<strong>**st**** Floor]**

I step out of the elevator and find myself back at the school. Saber is back in his spirit form and returns to his silent self.

This round is over. I won and Shinji lost. The price for my victory is Shinji's life. Can it really be true? I know what I saw, but it still doesn't feel real. Has Shinji's life been lost forever? Just because I won the match? Without any explanation or greater meaning?

"Looks like the first round is now over. I'm actually surprised that the Blanks Slate managed to defeat the Gaming Champion."

I wonder how long I have been standing there, dumbfounded. When I finally came to, Rin Tohsaka was standing in front of me looking at me. When I looked around I saw that it is dark out. I didn't realize that the battle had taken so much time.

"Even though Shinji was the one who chose to fight you, he's the one who ended up dead." There isn't a hint of sorrow or sympathy in her voice. "The infamous game champion of Asia is defeated. That idiot didn't have a clue how to fight for his life. That's the fate of anyone who treats the Holy Grail War like a game. It's really a pretty pathetic way to die."

I automatically open my mouth to defend the dead from desecration, but as if Tohsaka knew what I was about to say, she spoke up.

"This place is a battlefield. What's the point in exalting someone who was dealt defeat?"

The look in her eyes and her words drove home a cold hard truth: on the field of battle, losers die. It should have been obvious. But apparently not to Shinji and I.

"The winner of the Holy Grail War can be granted any wish. But there is only one winner. Everyone who enters has wishes and dreams, things they desire to have at any cost. Things worth dying for. You don't seem to have regained any of your memories yet. …It's better that way. To lack a motive, that is. But you should at least be mentally prepared. If you're not ready to kill or be killed, it'd be better to go hide under a rock." I'm not sure if Tohsaka trying to give me advise, or make me feel worse.

"I know I should, but…" I can't even look her in the eyes.

"Hide from reality if you like, but round two will inevitably come. No Master remaining thinks they can win without being prepared." With that she walks away.

Tohsaka is right about everything. Everyone who makes a stand here fights with a strong will. There isn't a single Master I could defeat without a hard fight first.

The main problem is that I don't have a reason to fight.

I can't even think about killing and being killed until I have some reason to fight. That said, what right do I have to put an end to other people's lives and crush their dreams?

* * *

><p><strong><em>Pain can be endured. <em>**

**_Adversity can be overcome. _**

**_One will eventually become accustomed to wounds, _**

**_and ever so slowly things begin to settle. _**

**_But souls can be released and people transform. _**

**_Wings as white as snow soar through the sky, _**

**_and a fragile feather falls to the earth. _**

**_Evidence of change in the wind._**

* * *

><p><strong><span>AN:**I'll admit, when I first found out that Shinji's real body was really eight years old, the first thing I thought was "Well, that explains a lot" and then I started to feel bad for him.

Remember that your wonderful reviews are what motivate me to write! :D


	8. Incompatibilis (Incompatible)

**A/N: The poll on whether I will choose to take on Rani or Rin as a sidekick is still on my profile. So far the score is:**

**Rin: 16**

**Rani: 12**

* * *

><p><strong><em>A journey without a destination;<em>**

**_a voyage at sea with no map._**

**_What awaits after drifting lost_**

**_is only a miserable death._**

**_…_****_And yet._**

**_You draw sustenance from fish,_**

**_Memorize the pilgrimage of the stars,_**

**_and land upon nameless shores._**

**_We start as novice navigators, but…_**

**_Rudderless boats never find the Grail._**

* * *

><p><strong>2<strong>**nd**** WEEK**

**Combatants Remaining: 64**

* * *

><p><strong>Week: 2<strong>

**Days Remaining: 6**

**Morning [Private Room]**

I'm sitting on my bed hugging my knees with my back against the headboard and my forehead pressed against my knees. My long hair falls around me. I haven't been able to sleep last night. I feel ripped apart to the core over what happened the other day.

I feel guilty about taking Shinji's life. What Tohsaka told me only made me feel worse.

I know that Tohsaka is right. I understand that it's logical. But emotionally, I just can't deal with it.

I suddenly feel the bed shift. I feel someone gently put their hand on my back and I flinch at the sudden contact. The hand is large and slightly cold. I already know who it is, but I don't look up or acknowledge him. Right now I just want to be left alone.

Unable to let it pass unnoticed, Saber talks to me.

"Lady Ailita, even though that boy was your enemy you still have the heart to mourn for him. Your mourning is a very human reaction." He lightly strokes my back as if he was trying to comfort a child.

Honestly, I'm surprised. I didn't think my Servant would have anything comforting to say to me. The gentle tone in his voice is somehow comforting.

"I'm surprised that you have something nice to say to me. I thought that you would agree with Tohsaka about me being too sentimental."

"A wise man sees his lord as merciful rather than weak, a fool will try their patience. Regardless of how disgraceful that boy acted, you still tried to help him. Many only look at the glory of victory and what they have gained, never thinking about what was sacrificed along the way. You are one of the few who do not find joy in victory and mourns those who have been sacrificed. This shows that you have a kind nature."

He says that I'm kind. Then am I shedding tears of empathy? I'm not sure I'm as kind as he says I am. Still, Saber's encouraging words soothe me.

However, I know that Tohsaka has a good point. I can't allow myself to feel too much. I can't survive through the second round on kindness alone.

I look up at Saber. He is sitting on the edge of the bed with his large hand still on my back.

My eyes widen at his appearance. I'm still not used to seeing Saber without a helmet. I'll admit that I have been wondering what his face looked like since I first met him, but I decided to respect his privacy and not pry into it.

Now that I have a chance to get a good look at him, I note that his face really is handsome. I can imagine that he must have been popular with girls when he was alive. Leo's Servant Gawain has the appearance of an ideal knight, but at the same time… so does Saber. He has long dark hair that goes slightly past his shoulders, and dark eyes that seem almost lifeless and carrying a deep sadness.

While his eyes hold a deep sadness, they are also expressing concern for me.

Another thing that caught my attention is that Saber is not wearing his usual dark armor. Instead he is currently wearing a short, dark grey tunic with long sleeves, a belt at his waist, black trousers and dark brown boots. The change in his appearance was so drastic that I couldn't help but stare for a moment.

"What happened to your armor, Saber?" He took his hand off my back.

"My armor is efficient for battle, but in the sanctuary of our Private Room it has no use so I do not wear it." That makes sense.

"Oh. The entire time we've been together I've never seen you without your armor or helmet. I guess because of that, I thought you even wore your armor when you sleep." I can't help but chuckle at the thought.

"Well, during brief moments of peace such as this, I find it easier to relax when I am not dressed for battle. It would be difficult to sleep in."

"Heheh. I can imagine." A small smile starts to form on my face.

*BEEP BEEP*

Snapping me back to reality, I hear an electronic noise from my portable terminal. I take it out of my pocket and see that I have a new message. I move so that Saber can see the message as well.

**_The combatants for the second round will be announced on the second floor bulletin board._**

As much as I don't want to, I know that I have to face my next opponent. I get off of the bed and put on my jacket. Saber also gets off the bed and his fog covered armor appears.

"Let's go, Saber." Just as I am about to put my hand on the door, Saber stops me.

"One moment please." I turn around and see him put on a new helmet identical to the one he wore in the first round.

"I thought you lost your helmet during our fight with Rider."

"I have multiple spares in case one gets broken or lost."

That answers one question… but raises a few more…

* * *

><p><strong>[2<strong>**nd**** Floor]**

As I make my way to the bulletin board, I note the condition of the remaining Masters. The results vary. Some people knew what they were getting into and have mentally prepared themselves for this war. Some people are just now understanding the gravity of the situation they have gotten involved in, and are feeling about as scared and guilty as I do.

Another thing that bothered me was how shocked some of the other Masters were that I defeated Shinji. They say that it's impossible that I made it through the first round.

When I make it to the bulletin board I notice that it is crowded with several other Masters who are eager to see who their next opponents are.

Just as before, my name is listed next to another on a sheet on the bulletin board.

My name is listed first, and below it is my next opponent.

**Master: Ailita Furude**

**Master: Dan Blackmore **

**Battleground: The Second Chimeric Lunar Sea**

"Hmph... So you are the one who will be my next opponent."

I turn to my right, and find an elderly gentleman standing next to me. I recognize him as the man who was yelling at Shinji in front of the chapel during the first round.

His hair is pure white, his eyes are green, and his face weathered with the marks of ageing. But, even though he's clearly aged, he doesn't seem the least bit frail. If I had to describe the way he wore his years, I'd say it was like a tree's rings. His scars have become a solid core and tough bark. It is impossible to see his age as a weakness…

"You're still green. Whatever you may think, you lack experience. The fact that you have let your opponent's appearance shake your resolve is proof enough of your inexperience. And your eyes… they are lost. You are beyond hopeless. Entering the battlefield in that state will prove disastrous." He holds nothing back as he points out everything wrong with me.

I suddenly notice that behind Dan is a man with a green cape with his hood covering his face. He can only be Dan's Servant.

He then pulls back his hood and my eyes widen when I recognize him as the Servant I met in the first round. He was the Servant who tried to trade partners earlier. I take a few steps back.

"Y-You're..!"

"Nice to see you've survived the first round, little lady. You're a real sight for sore eyes." The green Servant smirks and winks at me from behind Dan so that Dan can't see him.

Saber immediately materializes in front of me. As soon as Saber appears, the green Servant's smirk is replaced with a glare fixed on Saber. I can imagine that Saber is glaring right back at him.

"Your Servant on the other hand is a real eye-sore." The tension in the air was almost palpable.

Dan then turns to shoot an accusatory glare at his Servant.

"Have you encountered these two before?" The green Servant turns to look at Dan

"All I did was have a friendly chat with the young lady during the first round. I didn't do anything bad." He turns his attention back to Saber. "Right, _Bucket-head_?"

If he is trying to taunt Saber, I don't think it's working because he doesn't move or say anything.

"Well then, if you'd excuse me. If your hesitation clears up that would be for the best. I am honestly looking forward to the day we fight." With that, Dan and his Servant take their leave. However, Dan's Servant turns around to give us one last remark.

"Alright then. One-on-one fights are a pain, but how about a fair fight without any dirty tricks?"

"If that is truly what you want then I shall accept your challenge. A fair fight would suite my pride as a knight. Let us both fight with pride." Saber finally breaks his silence. He seems almost happy about the idea of a fair fight with no tricks.

The Green Servant just looks at Saber with contempt and he seems almost irritated by Saber's words. He then walks away after his Master.

* * *

><p><strong>Evening [1<strong>**st**** Floor]**

After stocking up on healing supplies, we decide to head to the Arena to do our routine training.

I feel a presence near the entrance of the Arena and crouch down almost instinctively. It is the old man I had spoken to earlier, Dan, with his green Servant by his side. I stay out of sight, just close enough so that I can hear what they are saying.

"I've just learned the identity of our next opponent. Although she is young, she did survive the first round. So be on your guard always. And I will not tolerate you acting solely on your 'gut feelings.'"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. I don't care who our opponent is, my only goal is their death. And anyway, they already killed that loudmouth brat, have they not? Anyone who made it this far is worthy of a little respect. Or is that just me?" The green Servant's tone is casual and laid-back.

"Your arrogance will be the death of us. I need you to obey my commands if we are to survive. No more acting on your own like the first round. Winning battles is meaningless if we lose the war. Do you understand me? I will not tolerate your insubordination a second time." It almost sounds like a parent scolding a teenager.

"I got it, I got it. Jeez old man, you can be a real pain in the ass sometimes." The green Servant only proves my point.

When the voices stop I look around the corner to see that they have entered the Arena.

"Hey, Saber, do you think it would be alright if we go into the Arena the same time they do?" While I want to make the most of my time training, I want to avoid a fight in the Arena if at all possible.

"If those two are true to their words then there should be nothing to worry about. Also, if we follow them, then we could possibly gain some information on our new opponents."

Saber has a pretty good point. This could be a good chance for us to gather any possible information that could give us an advantage. And, if things start to turn ugly, I could just use one of my Return Crystals to get out of the Arena quickly.

* * *

><p><strong>[Arena]<strong>

As we enter the Arena I notice that the atmosphere is slightly different than the Arena from the first round. There is no sign of Dan and his Servant so far, so we just start our daily training.

I notice that the Enemy Programs are also different and slightly stronger than the first round. There also seems to be more of a variety of Enemy Programs. One of the stranger ones was an Enemy Program that looked like a rabid, living bear trap.

Halfway through the Arena, I hear the sound of voices engaged in conversation at the end of the hall and slowly make my way over. Those voices can belong to two people. It has to be Dan and his green Servant. I can tell by the agitated tone in their voices that their conversation is less than friendly.

"Lady Ailita, shall I take this opportunity to make the first strike?"

Saber has his sword ready for me to give the order.

"I think attacking them now would be a bad idea. We can also learn a lot just by listening."

"If that is your order, then I shall obey."

I watch Saber lower his blade while I trying to quiet my breathing.

"What do you think you are doing?" The displeasure in Dan's voice can be heard clearly.

"What's wrong? If I set up a few traps, or a barrier now, you'll win easily, boss. Why wait until the Elimination Battle to take them out? If they drop out now, it'll be an easy victory for us."

"I have told you before that I forbid the use of such tactics. Even scavengers such as vultures that feed upon carrion have at least a single shred of dignity."

It's obvious by the heat in their voices that they are having a disagreement about what strategy they want to follow. It sounds like the green Servant was trying to set up some kind of traps, and Dan put a stop to it.

"The use of that tree is unnecessary for this fight. I forbid you to use it. It seems to me that you lack the most important of traits: _Pride._"

"Pride, you say? Sorry, but I just can't see the point of something as useless as that. I mean, I'm all for it if that's all we need to win this whole thing. Really it'd be the best thing in the world if our enemies would just kill themselves in the face of our Pride! Sorry, I'm not nearly the man you are. I'm just a pragmatist that'll resort to poison if it'll guarantee a kill."

"I see... Violations of trust, ambushes, and betrayal. These are the things you rely on in battle."

The way these two want to handle things couldn't be more different. It's obvious that there is disagreement about their actions.

Dan lowers his voice, although it's hard to determine whether he's doing so from scorn or distain.

"I will not order you to lower this barrier now. However, should you choose to disobey me again…" After a somewhat petulant reply of a 'Gotcha.' The sense of their presences disappears and I sigh in relief.

So there is discord between my enemy and his Servant. That much is certain. While the difference in our abilities and experience is great, this might be the key to victory in this round.

* * *

><p><strong>Night [Private Room]<strong>

After our training, we return to our room.

I just sit on the edge of the bed while Saber returns to his curtained off corner of the room.

"Once again we are faced with a disgraceful enemy. From what we have seen today, I do not trust that the enemy Servant will keep his word about having a fair fight." It sounds like Dan isn't the only one upset with that green Servant's attitude. "However, I am pleased to know that at least the Master we are faced with has the pride worthy of a knight."

Saber seems completely unfazed in this situation. He almost sounds happy about fighting an opponent like Dan. I wish I could say the same. I'm still shaken by Shinji's death, and now I'm even more discouraged about my next opponent.

"Lady Ailita, if I may be so bold as to ask what is troubling you?" My depression doesn't go by unnoticed by Saber.

I turn my attention to my hands that clutching my skirt.

"I was just thinking that you might be more content if you ended up with a Master like Dan instead of me. I'm about as helpless as Masters can get, and if you were paired up with a Master like Dan, you could win the Grail War easily."

For a while I don't hear anything from Saber. I guess that means that he doesn't deny what I said. His silence actually hurts more than if he had admitted that I was right. I tighten my grip on my skirt as tears threaten to fall from my eyes.

Suddenly, I notice Saber leave his corner of the room and walk up to me, but I don't look up or acknowledge him. Saber stops in front of me and takes my left hand in his armor-less hand. He now has my undivided attention as I up look at him. Saber is kneeling in front of me on one knee without his armor or helmet.

Saber then bows his head and kisses the back of my hand, on top of my Command Seals. Almost like for a princess. My eyes widen, and I feel my face slightly heat up at his actions.

"A true knight shall always stand to defend the weak, the oppressed, and the downtrodden, but you are not as helpless as you think. During our fight with Rider, you are the one who managed to free me from my restraints." My thoughts flash back to our fight with Rider. When Saber was paralyzed by Shinji's Code Cast, I somehow managed to undo the Code Cast to free Saber. If that had not happened, I wouldn't be here now.

"I'm sure that was just a fluke. Something I pulled off out of pure desperation. I'm not even sure _how_ I did that. It was just dumb luck that I managed to beat Shinji. I'm still the weakest Master."

"You may be weak now, but you still have vast potential for growth. I have told you before that I would not have anyone else as my Master. You have managed to acquire the strength necessary to overcome the obstacles of the first round within seven days. So, I implore you to have faith in yourself."

He doesn't mention how outclassed I currently am here. He probably believes I can overcome my weakness. Personally, I'm not so optimistic. In terms of battle prowess, not only do I lack strength, but drive. It's just like Dan said, I'm lost. I don't have any idea what I'm fighting for, and that's an obvious handicap. But, for my reasons to be so easily cast aside, just how strong could they have been?

There is something else that worries me. When that green Servant talked to me in the first round, he mentioned that he could win before the fight even started. If he is not above using traps, then I can't help but worry about what else that green Servant has in store.

At least I have one major advantage over Dan. It's clear that Dan and his Servant don't trust each other, and they are incompatible. I know that I can trust my Servant. Saber hasn't done anything to make me doubt him, and he has been nothing but good to me. I'm not sure about our compatibility, but I know I can put my faith in Saber.

* * *

><p><strong>Week: 2<strong>

**Days Remaining: 5**

**Morning [2****nd**** Floor]**

As soon as I set foot outside of my room, I can sense that I have once again become a target of something ferocious. It is rushing towards me with the speed of a wild animal.

However, I have encountered this before, so I know what to expect. All I have to do is get my timing right to avoid the brutal fate that awaits me. If I'm off by even a fraction of a second, it's all over.

"AI~LI~T… Ah-!" Just as Taiga was about to pull me into a vice-grip hug, I quickly step to the side. And of course, Taiga being Taiga, she trips on the floor's flat surface and falls flat on her face. "Owww… What was that for? Why'd you dodge? All I wanted to do was give one of my favorite students a hug." She stands up and rubs her sore forehead.

"I'm pretty sure that _hug_ would've crushed me." I remember the traumatizing experience, and pain I received last time.

"Nuh-uh! I'm probably the nicest and most gentle teacher in the whole school. I'd do anything to help my students!" She puffs out her chest proudly. "Oh, that reminds me. One of my student, I forget what her name is, asked me for help, but you'd do a better job. So could you help them instead?"

"Sure, why not?" Who knows? I just might get something to decorate my room again. It also won't hurt to help another student out.

"You're a real lifesaver! It seems one of the girls dropped her glasses in the Arena. She said they might've dropped to the bottom of the Arena, but she isn't sure. It'd be great if you could poke around your Arena as well. Please try to find them sometime during the second round. Thanks!"

And with that, Taiga dashes off to who knows where. I let out an exasperated sigh.

"She says she'd do anything for her students. Then shouldn't _she_ be the one to fulfill her student's request?"

"I suppose this just shows just how much faith she has in you to carry out such an important request." I can hear Saber's voice behind me.

"Nah. I think she's just being lazy, and taking advantage of my good nature."

* * *

><p><strong>Midday [1<strong>**st**** Floor]**

After my energy draining encounter with Taiga, I head to the first floor. All of a sudden, I hear voices down the hallway.

"Greetings, Sir Dan Blackmore. It's an honor to meet a knight of such renown." That's defiantly Leo giving the refined, confident greeting. At the mention of my opponent's name, I turn my full attention to the conversation.

I see Leo's Servant at his usual post behind Leo, looming there like a silver shadow. Gawain preserves his silence. So the next one to speak is not him, but Dan.

"The honor is mine. To meet the lord successor to the Harway family in a place such as this."

"Certainly you're not surprised. I am simply here to retrieve what rightfully belongs to my family. I am a novice to the battlefield, but my family decided that I was to be the one to participate."

"The almighty Grail… The Holy Grail is to be yours?"

"Of course. We Harways must have it under our control, especially if its guardianship is vacant. Something so divine does not belong in the hands of a normal human, but in the embrace of a king. This Holy Grail War is annoying, but what can you do?"

"You speak of the divine right of kings. Yes, I can see that's where you are coming from."

Leo speaks to Dan with respect, and Dan responds in kind. From what I can tell, they seem to know each other, but it seems like they've never actually met in person before. Like they're both celebrities.

"So, the Holy Grail is legitimate. To tell the truth, I was rather dubious on the whole idea. To think that at this age I would see the honor in questing for the Holy Grail!"

"Of course the Holy Grail is real. To your country most of all."

"Oh? And how have you arrived at that conclusion?"

"Because of you, Sir Blackmore. You are not only a battle veteran, but a knight decorated by the Queen. The fact that a man of your rank has been dispatched is proof that the Holy Grail is real."

"What are you saying, young king? I am just an old soldier. The Queen could not spare a young life for this battle royale, as a result I was called upon."

"You're close to the Queen, so you must have heard her displeasure at a certain allied organization."

"Well, the Queen's intentions do not reach a simple soldier's ears."

"Ah, I see. I beg your pardon. I shall take my leave. Let us be off, Gawain."

"As you wish." Gawain gives a slight bow and follows his Master.

After bidding farewell to Dan, Leo notices me and stops.

"It's been a while, Miss Ailita. I'm glad to see that you have passed the first round. Congratulations. Are you prepared for the second round? I'd wish you luck, but…" Leo pauses, as if thinking about something. "It's strange. The old knight's lance has splintered. No, perhaps he has exchanged it for a sword. If his conviction is no longer what it used to be, then perhaps you have a genuine shot at victory." Leo doesn't elaborate any further before leaving with Gawain right behind him. Looks like Dan also left while I wasn't paying any attention.

What the heck were they even talking about in the first place? The harder I try to understand, the less of it makes sense. All I really grasped was that they both really want the Holy Grail. In all honesty, I'm still skeptical that there's some magic wish-granting cup out there. But if they're both convinced…

Regardless if it is real or not, my main concern right now is surviving the second round. In my confusion, I recall something. I think of the girl who gave me advice when I didn't know left from right.

Rin Tohsaka.

Maybe she's on the roof again. I'm not sure if she'll give me any good advice, but it won't hurt to just talk to her.

* * *

><p><strong>Evening [Rooftop]<strong>

Later that day I head up to the roof. I spot Tohsaka right away. She is standing in the same spot that I met her during the first round. I start to walk over to her.

"Hey, Tohsaka." She turns around to face me when I call out to her.

"Oh. Hello, Furude. What brings you here?"

I decide to get straight to the point of why I came up here. I don't really have anything to lose, and the worst she could say is 'get lost.'

"I was wondering if you could tell me anything about someone named, Dan Blackmore. He is my next opponent." Tohsaka gives me a grim look.

"I've heard about Dan Blackmore. He's a decorated soldier, although I think that he's retired now. He's a sniper from a kingdom that is allied, whether they want it or not, with the Harway plutocracy. Things like crawling over a mile or sniping an enemy commander are par for the course for him."

Wow. This guy sounds like a real combat veteran.

"Do you understand? He's of a completely different caliber than Shinji Matou. Seriously, you really are pathetic. Your memories haven't returned, and you're still weak on top of that. I don't want to preach, but without memories, and without a reason to fight, you're dead in the water."

It's hard to tell where the insults end and the advice begin here. I do understand that Tohsaka says I have a serious handicap. The Holy Grail is won by individual motivation. To lack the core of that motivation is a problem.

"The thing is that soldiers fight solely out of obligation. For the rest of us, we need to keep our eyes on the prize, and there's no bronze or silver in this war. You're not a strong-willed person or a soldier. By now, you should know that's a weakness. Even if you've got the strongest Noble Phantasm out there, he'll still make quick work of you."

Suddenly a new term was thrown at me. My confusion is clearly showing on my face.

"Wait a second, Tohsaka. What's a Noble Phantasm?"

"What? I'm talking about Noble Phantasms… Don't tell me you don't know. It's like King Arthur's Excalibur. A Noble Phantasm is a power that makes your Servant a Servant." The look on her face, and the tone of her voice as she explains this makes it sound like I said I didn't know the Earth was round.

"Noble Phantasm? Makes my Servant a Servant?" It looks like my questions leave Rin Tohsaka speechless.

"You're saying you didn't use your Noble Phantasm? That would mean you aren't making full use of your Servant's powers, and yet you defeated El Draque? This entire time I thought you relied on a really powerful Noble Phantasm to defeat El Draque." Tohsaka pauses for a moment to think, not hiding the shock on her face.

"Hmm... I may have to rethink my opinion of you. But, more importantly, I'm getting the feeling that something's very wrong about you. I mean, your memories didn't return after the prelims, and you can't use your Noble Phantasm, either. You're a troublesome girl, you know that? Maybe a bug damaged your personal data when you exited the prelims. Possibly your Magic Circuit isn't functioning right. In any case, you have to fix the issue. Meanwhile, you better keep training with your Servant. You might be able to use their Noble Phantasm if you strengthen your bond with your Servant. The SERAPH. is supposed to treat all Masters equally. So if the SERAPH. sees that you can't use your Noble Phantasm, it will take corrective action. One more thing. Don't do anything stupid that could get yourself killed."

It seems like Tohsaka is done talking to me, so I just walk away. As I'm walking down the stairs I can't help but think about what Tohsaka said about Noble Phantasms.

If a Noble Phantasm is supposed to be a Servant's trump card, why didn't Saber say anything about it to me?

* * *

><p><strong>Night [Private Room]<strong>

Our day in the Arena was productive. We managed to find the glasses that Taiga asked for.

But right now my mind is focused on the man retreating to the other side of the room. I grab hold of his armor-covered arm before he can do so. There is something I need to talk to him about, face-to-face. Saber stops, and turns to face me.

"Is there something I can do for you, Lady Ailita?"

This strange man is a Heroic Spirit. I've seen that he is capable of displaying incredible powers. Now that I'm his Master, of course I can't avoid my curiosity about this Noble Phantasm thing. I didn't ask about it earlier because I've learned the consequences of carelessly talking about your Servant on campus by watching Shinji and where that got him.

I decide to just get to the point. This is an important matter after all.

"Saber, why didn't you say anything to me about your Noble Phantasm?" I'm actually a bit mad that he never said anything to me.

Saber pauses before giving me an answer.

"A Noble Phantasm is the symbol of a Heroic Spirit. If I were to use one of them recklessly, they would reveal my true identity."

"Still, as your Master I had every right to know!" The frustration is evident in my voice.

"Please forgive me, Lady Ailita. I just-"

"I don't want to hear any excuses! If a Noble Phantasm is a Servant's trump card, then knowing about something like that would have given me some kind of reassurance." I yell at him, not holding back my emotions. "Do you not trust me enough to tell me something that important?"

I really am naïve. I thought I held an advantage over Dan Blackmore because he and his Servant were incompatible and didn't trust each other. But now I understand that I'm even worse. From what I heard in the Arena, Dan fully understands his Servant's abilities and what he is capable of. On the other hand, I don't know _anything_ about Saber. I really am foolish to think that I could trust someone that I knew nothing about. It's also clear that Saber doesn't trust me. He won't even tell me, his Master, anything about himself. I looked down on Dan's relationship with his Servant, but I now know that Saber and I are far from being good partners.

Saber takes off his helmet. He gets down on one knee, puts his hand across his chest, and bows his head low.

"Master, I understand that it was wrong of me to not inform you of my Noble Phantasms. A great warrior's tactics and tools could telegraph their identity to a wise Master. It will be the best advantage to wait as long as possible to use my Noble Phantasms. I may not have told you about my trump card, but I had every intention of using them if your life was in danger. I even put one to use during our battle with Rider. Regardless, you have every right to be angry with me for withholding such vital information from you."

From the tone in Saber's voice I can tell that his apology is sincere. I understand that now he didn't mean any harm by not telling me about his Noble Phantasm. He just didn't see the need to. He still planned to protect me regardless if I knew about his Noble Phantasm or not.

I walk over to Saber and squat down in front of him so we are at eye level. Or at least we would if his head wasn't still bowing looking at the floor.

"Saber, look at me for a moment." Saber lifts his head so I can see his eyes. "I understand that you want to hold off using your Noble Phantasm until the last minute, but in the future, I want you to tell me about it if you feel like you need to use it. Ok?"

"As you wish. I promise you that I shall tell you everything eventually." I smile at that.

"Alright. One more thing. When you talk about your Noble Phantasms, you speak as if you have more than one."

"That is because I have three Noble Phantasms. It is not unusual for a Servant to have more than one." My eyes widen at that. That sounds really cool.

"Seriously? Which one did you use during our fight with Rider?

"The Noble Phantasm you saw during our fight with Rider is called, _Knight of Honor_, which turns anything I construe as a weapon into a D-Rank Noble Phantasm and use it as my own the moment I touch it. This also includes the Noble Phantasms of other Servants, should they be foolish enough to let me grab them. This Noble Phantasm is what allowed me to take control of one of Rider's ships, and with my Riding skill that Servants of the Saber class possess, I was able to steer the ship with ease."

That's really impressive, and that was just _one_ of his Noble Phantasms.

"Alright. However, I'm still not ready to forgive you just yet."

"Is there anything you would like me to do to atone?"

I know exactly what he can do to atone.

"I want you to tell me about yourself. Bit by bit over time." Saber's eyes widen for a second at my odd request, but then he returns to his usual composure.

"Very well, Milady."

He says I'll know eventually, and right now I'm too exhausted to keep questioning him. I'll learn Saber's true identity eventually.


	9. Venator (Hunter)

**A/N: It has been over a year since I started writing Phasmatis Ex Machina, and I just want to thank everyone for their support by posting early. :D**

The poll on whether I will choose to take on Rani or Rin as a sidekick is still on my profile. So far the score is:

**Rin: 17**

**Rani: 13**

* * *

><p><strong>Week: 2<strong>

**Days Remaining: 5**

**Morning [Garden]**

I take in the peaceful scenery of the flower garden outside the chapel while I sit on the edge of the fountain at the center of the garden. There are colorful flowers and lush trees planted. Surprisingly I am the only Master in the gardens. The peaceful scenery helps me calm down and clear my thoughts. However, it doesn't get rid of the guilt I am feeling right now.

I feel embarrassed that I acted like a spoiled brat last night. I threw a fit at Saber for not telling me anything about Noble Phantasms. I'll admit that I was upset that he didn't tell me anything, but I didn't need to get _that_ upset. I guess I was just stressed about everything that has happened since the Grail War started. I'm just really ashamed that I took my frustration out on Saber.

I am about to apologize to Saber, but before I can open my mouth, Saber speaks up in a disembodied voice.

"Milady, you seem to have caught the attention of another Master. From the way she is approaching, I would assume that she has some business with you."

Only then do I notice someone is walking up to me. I immediately stand up to face this person who might be my enemy.

She is a young girl with wavy light purple hair with part of it tied into a ponytail. She has purple eyes, a tan complexion, wears glasses and has a bindi on her fore head. She wears a purple fable collar with a dark purple gem in the center. Under that she wears a white shirt with a deep V, leaving a portion of her small chest bare. Over that, she wears a white lab coat with the emblem of Tsukumihara Academy on it like my school uniform. On her hands are multiple golden bracelets and small thin white gloves. On her legs she wears long mismatched white and purple socks and black shoes.

"Good day." She greets me with a polite bow. She speaks with an emotionless expression and speech. Either way, there is something strange about her. Who, or what, could this girl possibly be?

"Umm… Hello." I have no idea who this girl is, or what she wants, but it doesn't look like she wants to fight.

"I believe that this is our first time to actually converse like normal people, is it not? My name is Rani. Like you, I am here for the purpose of obtaining the Holy Grail."

So this girl, Rani, is a Master too. She seems more passive than the other Masters I've seen so far. Unlike Tohsaka I can't sense any hostility from her.

"I have been scanning the stars for clues about you. Unlike the other Masters, you are an enigma. So I have decided to ask you directly, and please answer my question honestly. What are you?" I'm slightly taken aback by her question.

"My name is Ailita Furude. I'm a second-year student of Tsukumihara Academy." I give her an automatic answer. "That's all… I…" No, that can't be right. This school is just a setting for the preliminaries. So who am I really?

"So, you will hide your identity? Even after exposing yourself to Blackmore's Servant yesterday?"

"What?! You're saying that you saw me?! How?" I'm sure she wasn't there when I first met Dan.

"There is no need to be so suspicious. I assure you, I'm not your enemy. I did not watch your encounter. I am simply relaying what it is the stars say about you. I'm looking for the newborn chick my professor spoke of. Someone who has tempted fate. The stars have aided me in that task. I am not sure if you are who I seek, but…"

So she's an astrologer? I don't really understand her. At least she seems mostly harmless, though.

"I must study the heavens further. But I must ask you to tell me more of Blackmore's star. It may seem like I'm asking for a lot, but the knowledge revealed will benefit you, I think. And as per Atlas, I wish to show you the true value of knowledge and will share my findings. I'll use you, and you'll use me. What do you think? Will you accept my request?

"You discovered me on your own?" In addition to investigating Dan, it seems she already knows all about me… a terrifying thought.

"It should not be too surprising, Milady. Information is essential in war. I have seen that girl a few times, but I did not know that she has been observing us." I can hear Saber's disembodied voice. Once again it seems like Saber's observation skills surpass mine. I never noticed Rani until now.

"I apologize. But if I am to understand my professor's words, I must first understand humanity. This is what she said: 'As a doll, you must find and observe someone who has tempted fate to understand what it means to be truly alive.' I believe that she wants me to find out, by watching humans like you, what it means to be alive. I don't know if you are the one, but perhaps your star will shine apart from the others. I must observe other people. You, and Blackmore as well. That is why I require your assistance. Please bring me a relic of Blackmore. I'm sure you see the value in learning what Blackmore's star will have to say, right?"

"Can I have some time to think about it?" I still don't know if I should trust Rani or not.

"Of course. I will be waiting at the far end of the third floor hallway. When you come to see me, we will gaze into the heavens together. When you have made your decision, please find a relic of his by then. Until we meet again." She gives me a small smile before giving a polite bow and walking away.

* * *

><p><strong>Midday<strong>

I return to my seat on the edge of the garden fountain as I ponder what to make of Rani's offer.

"Hey, Saber, what do you think about what Rani told us? Do you think we should go along with it?"

Saber materializes in front of me.

"I believe that any information would be of value right now. What is your opinion on the matter?"

I stop to think for a moment. I'm still skeptical on the idea. After all, I remember the _last time_ a stranger made a proposition to me.

"I'm not really sure. I just can't bring myself to completely trust an enemy Master. She just offers to help us, and doesn't ask for anything in return. It seems a little too good to be true." After dealing with Tohsaka, I have a hard time believing that an enemy Master would suddenly help me out of the kindness of her heart.

"Your caution is understandable. To receive a boon from an enemy is unorthodox. However, I believe that you should accept the young lady's act of generosity."

"What? Why?" I'm not so sure about this. For all I know she could be setting me up for something.

"If one were to think about it, it seems like a fair deal. She asked for our assistance in acquiring information about our enemy for her own gain, and she offered to share any spoils with us in return. She has nothing to lose from aiding us."

Saber has a really good point. Rani even gave me the option to say no to her request.

"Rani is a girl of many mysteries. That much is certain. But oddly enough… I couldn't detect any animosity from her. More importantly, she seems more interested in learning about the Masters than the Servants. I guess going along with her deal won't hurt." Something then crossed my mind. "However, what do you think she meant by finding a 'relic?'"

"I would assume that she is asking for something that belongs to Sir Blackmore, or his Servant, and has some connection to them."

This kind of request really seems like something out of a video game… Oh well… If Rani is willing to help me learn about Dan, I'll be sure to find something for her and bring it to the third floor.

I stand up and make my way back to the school. But before I can take three steps I remembered another important issue. I still need to apologize to Saber for my behavior last night. I turn around to face him.

"Hey, Saber, I just want to say that-" I don't even get the chance to finish my sentence when I suddenly feel a sense of dread, and a sudden chill runs through me which freezes me in place.

Saber suddenly draws his sword, and gets into a fighting stance. He starts looking all around him.

"Lady Ailita, no matter what happens, do not leave my side!"

There's no doubt that someone is watching me with an intent to kill. I don't need Saber's warning to know that I am being hunted.

I try to calm down and prepare for action as Saber braces himself. Despite the danger, Saber's breathing seems composed as he tries to locate our enemy. I'm also on full alert. My instincts are screaming inside my head that I have to run away, but my legs won't move. All I can do is stand there.

Suddenly, Saber's sword slashes through the air. An arrow that had been cut in half falls to the ground.

"Such a slow arrow could never get past me!"

I sigh in relief. It looks like Saber has the skill to counter our enemy's attacks. I shouldn't have anything to worry about.

Or so I thought… I suddenly feel a sharp pain as I fall to my knees and clutch my arm. When I look, I see a small gash in my arm. It makes me feel nauseous. More nauseous than seeing a small wound like that would warrant. The cut isn't deep, and it's only about two centimeters wide. I'm not even sure when I got hurt.

My vision starts spinning. I look behind me and see another arrow embedded in the ground. I understand what just happened. Saber stopped the first surprise attack, but while I was just standing there, there was a second arrow covered in poison.

"Lady Ailita!" Saber rushes to my side to catch me as my legs give out. I struggle to stay conscious as the poison starts to course through my system. The poison pretty much paralyzed me. My vision starts to fade as I start to lose consciousness. The last thing I recall is the feeling of someone carrying me in their arms.

* * *

><p><em>When I open my eyes, I find myself in an old stone building. The halls are grandly decorated with tapestries. <em>

_It is night and everything is covered in shadows. Not even a single candle is lit. The only light comes from the moonlight from the windows._

_Suddenly I can hear light footsteps._

_Turning my attention to the source of the footsteps, I see a tall man in a dark cloak with a hood hiding his face. He would stop every so often to look around._

_He eventually makes his way to a set of stone stairs. The stairs spiral up to a tall tower. Looking out a window I could see for miles. At the top of the tower is a large wooden door._

_The cloaked man opens the door to reveal a large, well-furnished room. The room was covered in tapestries and paintings. A large canopy bed could be seen. As well as a large bookshelf and a desk covered in documents. _

_What caught my attention was a young woman standing in the room. She is staring out the window. _

_The first thing that came to my mind was that she is beautiful. She has long black hair tied back in a single braid that went past her waist. Her skin is fair and flawless. Her eyes are as blue as the sea. She is wearing a modest scarlet satin dress. I assume that she must be some sort of princess._

_She looks so sad and lonely with a forlorn expression on her face. Like a beautiful bird trapped in a cage._

_She notices the cloaked man, and when she turns to him, a warm smile appears on her face as she approaches him._

_The man pulls back his hood to reveal his face._

_I'm shocked to see that the man is _Saber!_ He looks at the woman with kind eyes and a gentle smile on his face. He almost looks happy. I've never seen him make that expression before._

_When the woman stops in front of him, she holds out her hand to him. Saber then kneels down and kisses the back of her hand._

_He reaches into his cloak and gives her a pendant with a moonstone the size of a marble on it. The pendant almost seems to glow in the moonlight. The woman takes the pendant hand holds it as if it were precious to her._

_From the look on Saber's face I can tell that he honestly cares about her. From the look on the woman's face I can tell that she truly loves him._

_I can see that the two of them are talking, but I can't hear their voices. They both seem happy together._

_Just as I think that, my vision fades._

* * *

><p><strong>Evening [Nurse's Office]<strong>

I can hear voices as I open my eyes. I still feel dizzy and it's hard for me to breathe. I take in my surroundings and note that I am on a bed in the nurse's office. I look to my side and see Saber talking to Sakura Matou.

"Miss Sakura, is there anything else that you can do to help my Master?" I can hear the concern in Saber's voice.

"This is a taxine, a toxin from the yew tree. It's quite a terrifying natural poison. I don't know how much of it I can treat with my abilities, but I'll do what I can."

Sakura administers a detox treatment to me. She must be giving me treatment because it was inflicted outside the Elimination Battles.

Sakura then exits the room, leaving Saber and I alone. Now that there are no more interruptions, I can finally say what I need to say to him.

"Hey, Saber…" I call out to him in a weak voice.

Saber removes his helmet as he walks over to me and kneels beside my bed.

"Yes, Lady Ailita. Is there anything I can do for you?" His voice sounds so gentle.

"I just wanted to say… I'm sorry for yelling at you last night. I could have handled that situation more maturely." Saber seems surprised at what I said.

"You needn't worry about that now. All that matters now is that you recover. Whoever that Servant is, he landed a really good shot. There is no doubt that our enemy is of the Archer class."

"Still… I just wanted to say… I'm sorry…"

Saber takes my hand in both of his. I notice that the armor on his hands is gone. His hands are rough from years of wielding a sword and slightly cold, but they hold my hand so gently. He has a sad expression on his face. I can see Saber talking again, but his words don't register in my mind as I lose consciousness again.

* * *

><p>Right after Lady Ailita collapsed in the garden, I immediately rushed her to the nurse's office.<p>

"Miss Sakura, is there anything else that you can do to help my Master?"

"This is a taxine, a toxin from the yew tree. It's quite a terrifying natural poison. I don't know how much of it I can treat with my abilities, but I'll do what I can."

After administering a detox treatment, Miss Sakura left the room, leaving me alone with my Master. I expected her to still be unconscious, so I was surprised when I heard her speak up.

"Hey, Saber…" I hear Lady Ailita call out to me in a weak voice.

Out of courtesy for my Master, I remove my helmet as I approach her bedside. She looks so pale.

"Yes, Lady Ailita. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"I just wanted to say… I'm sorry for yelling at you last night. I could have handled that situation more maturely."

I remembered our conversation from last night. I had no idea that she was troubled over that incident. She should not feel guilty over my selfishness to hide my identity from her.

"You needn't worry about that now. All that matters now is that you recover. Whoever that Servant is, he landed a really good shot. There is no doubt that our enemy is of the Archer class."

"Still… I just wanted to say… I'm sorry…" Her voice continues to grow softer.

I remove the armor from my hands as I take hold of one of her hands. Her body is cold, and her pulse is growing weaker. I feel so helpless.

"Lady Ailita, I am the one who should be asking for your forgiveness. I have failed in my duty to protect you."

When I don't receive a reply from her, I look to see that she has fallen back asleep. I let go of her hand, put my helmet back on, and return to my spiritual form.

I feel so ashamed that I let that arrow slip past my guard. That Archer's skill with a bow could possibly rival that of Sir Tristan.

I am most disappointed in the actions that Archer's Master took. I had originally thought of him as a man of honor with a strong sense of pride. But now I take back that thought due to the cowardly actions of hiding in the shadows and using poison. He should be ashamed to call himself a knight.

On the day comes that a confrontation is unavoidable; I shall make both Archer and his Master rue the day they thought about hurting Lady Ailita.

* * *

><p>Less than an hour had passed since Lady Ailita had fallen asleep when the door to the nurse's office slides open. I was expecting to see Miss Sakura returning from her errand, but instead the one who walks in is Miss Tohsaka.<p>

I am honestly surprised at her sudden appearance. She quickly walks over to my Master's bedside. I was also surprised by the fact that she has a concerned look on her face.

"That idiot. I even gave her a warning to be careful." Her brow is furrowed and her fists are clenched in frustration. Despite her harsh tone, I could not detect any anger in her voice.

"Really? When did you tell her to be careful? It seemed to me that whenever you talked you would just be mean to the poor lass. I never would've thought that you cared so much." A man suddenly materializes leaning against the wall. He can only be her Servant. He is slightly shorter than I am. He has red eyes and short blue hair, with a long section tied up in the back. He wears deep blue full body tights covered in Runic protections. He gives off the impression of a beast. Whoever this Heroic Spirit is, he is clearly not an opponent to take lightly.

"Sh-Shut up, Lancer!" So, this Servant is of the Lancer class. I can sense that this man was a powerful hero. "I don't care about what happens to her. Why should I care about someone who might be my enemy?" Miss Tohsaka seems flustered by her Servant's words.

"I don't know. It's just that during the first Elimination Battle, you actually waited outside for her to come out, and when you heard that she was attacked on campus, you rushed over to see if she was okay. You also didn't seem to mind feeling her up. I didn't know you liked girls, Master." Lancer seems to enjoy taunting his Master.

"Grrr… I do not!" Miss Tohsaka's cheeks start to turn red at Lancer's crude remarks as she yells at him. "If you must know, it's because when she looks at me with those big eyes, it makes me think of a lost puppy, and I don't kick puppies."

"Oh? So even you have a soft side, Master." Lancer walks over to Lady Ailita's bedside and his eyes trace my Master's sleeping form. "I'll admit though, I can see why you've warmed up to her. She's really cute." There is a roguish grin on his face.

"Lancer, don't." Miss Tohsaka glares at her Servant.

"Don't worry. I won't do anything you wouldn't do."

"I told you before that was an accident!" While Miss Tohsaka is busy yelling, Lancer reaches his hand out to my Master's face.

I shall not stand by and watch this anymore. I immediately materialize and roughly grab the Servant's wrist.

"I shall not tolerate any inappropriate behavior. Especially towards my Master. If you do not have any business here, then leave at once!" I assert in a firm tone.

Lancer doesn't seem fazed by my appearance.

"What? It's not like I was gonna hurt your Master, Bucket-Head. I guess you really want to keep her all to yourself."

At Lancer's crude comment I apply pressure to his wrist. I am prepared to break his arm if he continues such tasteless actions. Lancer yanks his hand away and takes a few steps back with an amused grin on his face.

"This is why I told you not to try anything, Lancer." Miss Tohsaka lets out an exasperated sigh as she looks me over. "So, you're Furude's Servant. You sure are diligent when it comes to protecting your Master."

"It is the duty of a Servant to protect their Master." I return my gaze to Lancer. "Especially against the advances of an impudent cur."

"What was that?!" Lancer's amused grin turned into a ferocious scowl. It looks like he is ready to start a fight. Given the circumstances I would prefer to avoid a confrontation.

"Lancer, that's enough!" Lancer's attention returns to his Master. "Let's go. The last thing I want is to get a penalty."

Lancer remains still before he reluctantly dematerializes as Miss Tohsaka turns to leave. Right before she opens the door, she turns to face me.

"Hey, Servant, could you do me a favor and not tell Furude that we stopped by?" She opens the door before I can reply. I do intend to tell Lady Ailita that Miss Tohsaka came to visit her, but I shall leave _certain _details out.

Almost as soon as Miss Tohsaka leaves the room, another girl enters the nurse's office. This time the visitor is Miss Rani.

"Good day." Miss Rani greets me with a polite bow.

"Good day, Miss Rani." I return her bow. She then turns her attention to Lady Ailita who is still asleep in bed.

"How is Miss Furude doing? I heard that she was attacked in the garden shortly after I talked to her." I hang my head in shame at the memory.

"I am afraid that her condition has not improved." Given that this poison is from a Servant, I am not sure that normal methods will be enough to help.

"Have you managed to require a relic of Blackmore's?" I turn my attention to the table in the center of the room. On it is the broken arrow that I managed to block in the garden. Miss Sakura had been examining it in order to determine what sort of poison she was dealing with. It was wrapped in a cloth to prevent Miss Sakura from accidently cutting herself. I picked up the broken arrow and hand it to Miss Rani.

"Will this suffice?" Miss Rani carefully takes the arrow from me. She examines it closely.

"This should be enough." She then turns her attention to Lady Ailita. "Once Miss Furude has recovered, meet me on the third floor."

She gives a slight bow and turns to leave. Suddenly she stops and glances at Lady Ailita.

"I hope that she recovers soon. It is possible that her will to live will tempt fate." With that, Miss Rani takes her leave.

With Miss Rani gone, I return to my spiritual form. The only thing I can do now is watch over Lady Ailita while she recovers.

* * *

><p><strong>Night [Nurse's Office]<strong>

After a while Miss Sakura left the room and turned off the lights. She said that if Lady Ailita's condition changes I should call for her immediately. Unfortunately, Lady Ailita's condition has not improved, so she shall be staying in the nurse's office tonight. She has not regained consciousness, and I have not left her side the entire time. Aside from Miss Tohsaka and Miss Rani, no one else has come to visit Lady Ailita.

I cannot help but worry about her condition. I also cannot help but think about how fragile she is. She is pure hearted and kind. Someone like her should not be anywhere near the battlefield. No matter who has wronged her, she has no desire to take the life of another. I can imagine that even now she has no desire to take the life of Sir Blackmore.

I truly pity her. She is forced to fight for her life in a war that she has no desire to be a part of. Each victory shall bring her nothing but sorrow. Lacking even the knowledge of who she is must make this all the more difficult for her. She has no memory of the people she encountered, or the events that make up who she is. I can only imagine the pain she must be feeling.

In a way, Lady Ailita reminds me of two other women I have served. She is forced into a situation beyond her control. She is also too kind for this cruel war. However, despite everything, she chooses to stay strong and does not submit to her troubles. She has never asked for my help, and tries her best to endure the pain she is feeling.

I think back to when Miss Rani compared Lady Ailita to a newborn chick. I find this to be an accurate comparison. She is inexperienced, fragile, and slightly naïve. Keeping someone like her alive until the end might prove to be the most difficult challenge I have ever taken.

However, this challenge could be exactly what I need. Using my sword to protect such a pure soul is repentance in the true sense. I do not know how many times I have failed to protect what I want to, nor do I recall how many lives I have ruined. I brush some of her hair out of Lady Ailita's face. I just pray that I shall not cause this girl to suffer.

Suddenly, someone enters the room. Because of the darkness and the hood they are wearing I cannot make out their face. No one should have business in the nurse's office at this time of night. I remain silent to observe what this intruder is plotting.

When I see the flash of a dagger, I waste no time in bringing out my sword. I immediately lash out at the intruder. However, the intruder dodges, and I end up smashing a nearby table. When I turn to face the intruder, I see that their hood has fallen back and their face is now visible. In a way, I am not surprised by the intruder's identity.

"Archer… To think you would not only resort to using poison from the shadows, but to also attack an injured person while they slept. Your depravity know no bounds."

Archer stands with his dagger ready to fight.

"I actually thought I was being nice by putting the poor girl out of her misery. That poison can't be cured unless I cancel out the effects myself. I'm honestly surprised that she's still alive."

If what he says is true, then if I defeat him here and now, the effect of the poison should disappear.

"No matter the circumstances, hurting my Master is something that I shall never forgive!"

* * *

><p>I awake to the sound of crashing and yelling.<p>

"I actually thought I was being nice by putting the poor girl out of her misery. That poison can't be cured unless I cancel out the effects myself. I'm honestly surprised that she's still alive."

"No matter the circumstances, hurting my Master is something that I shall never forgive!"

When I look around I see Saber and the enemy Servant I now know as Archer, ready to fight.

My head is still dizzy and I can't move to sit up. Saber keeps slashing at Archer with his sword, while Archer just barely dodges Saber's attacks.

"Wh-What's going on, Saber…?"

"That is exactly what I would like to know." Suddenly, the doors to the nurse's office open and the lights turn on revealing a surprise visitor.

"Care to explain yourself, Archer?"

The unexpected caller is Dan Blackmore. His expression is less than pleased. I try to ready myself, but I have no strength to call upon. Luckily all his hostility is directed at Archer.

"What? I just saw an opportunity to finish them off, and I took it." Archer speaks nonchalantly.

"Archer, I'm disappointed in your use of such underhanded tactics. You even acted without my permission. To break the sovereign rules of the battlefield is to sunder the fabric of your character. This war is between individuals, not countries. There is no need to resort to savagery."

"I just thought I'd get this battle over with and kill them as a realist."

The two continue to argue back and forth. The way they fight really does make me think of a father reprimanding a rebellious teenager.

Seeing that Dan is here, Archer is not likely to attack me. However, Saber refuses to put his sword away. I can't see his face, but I'm pretty sure he is glaring daggers at Archer.

Dan then turns his attention to me.

"Archer, cleanse this girl of the _Yew Bow's_ effect this instant. Relieve her of her suffering."

What?! Did he really just order his Servant to help an enemy?

Archer just stands there.

"Don't boss me around!" He really does sound like a teenager.

"Very well then." Dan holds out his fist and the back of his hand starts to glow. "Archer. Your Master, Dan Blackmore, commands you with the force of a Command Seal. I hereby prohibit any attacks on enemy Masters with your _Yew Bow_ while on campus."

There is a sudden flash of red as Archer takes a step back.

"What?! Are you crazy, boss?! I thought you wanted this to be an easy win!" The expression on his face is a mixture of shock and anger.

"Of course. And I will not lose. My victory is the natural outcome of the situation. However, Archer, I speak only to my own resolve. My way of fighting and yours are separate. There are circumstances in which we may not win. My victory is not the same as yours. Now, cancel the effect of the _Yew Bow_ immediately."

The Command Seals. The three absolute commands that a Master can give their Servant. Astonishingly, this old knight in front of me just used one of his Command Seals to save his enemy and force his own Servant to fight fairly.

"Alright, fine!" Archer looks at Dan with contempt. He then takes out a crossbow. "There. I canceled it. Happy now?" Archer says sarcastically before he vanishes.

My body instantly feels lighter and I can breathe normally again. Now that I can move normally again I sit up in bed. I still can't believe what just happened.

"Now that the Noble Phantasm, the source of the poisoned arrows has been canceled, their effects should dissipate. I hope you will accept this token of my apology, if only to humor me. Please understand that my Servant acted improperly and against my deepest wishes. I intend to grasp victory only on the battlefield proper. I hope you can forgive this incident." Dan's words don't show a trace of regret for what he has done.

"Ummm… Thank you…?" I'm not sure exactly what to say in this situation.

That said, Dan gives a polite bow before he turns around and walks off.

Now I'm alone with Saber again. His sword disappears and he walks up to me.

"Milady, how are you fairing now? Are you in any pain?" I can hear the concern in his voice.

"I'm feeling a lot better now, Saber. Thank you." Saber lets out a sigh of relief. With that all the tension from his shoulders drops.

"I am truly relieved, Milady. However, now that we no longer require the assistance of the nurse's office, might I suggest that we return to the private room?" I guess there really is no point in me staying here any longer.

"Sure. Let's go."

I'm eager to get back in my own bed. As soon as I try to stand up, my legs give out. I would have fallen on my face if Saber hadn't caught me.

"Lady Ailita, are you alright?" His voice sounded worried.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I guess my body is just still a little numb." I give Saber a small smile to try not to worry him.

After a moment of silence Saber suddenly picks me up in his arms and is holding me bridal style.

"S-Saber?! Wh-What are you doing?!" I'm honestly surprised by this action.

"Please do not exert yourself. If you are still unwell, then I shall carry you back." He seems dead serious.

"What? No way! I-I can walk fine. Besides, what if someone sees?" My face starts to heat up in embarrassment.

"Fear not. At this time of night, I honestly doubt that there would be anyone in the hallways."

I can tell that Saber is not going to give up on this. So I just let out an exasperated sigh and stop my protests. While Saber is holding me I notice something. Even though I know how strong Saber is, he is holding me so gently, as if I might break.

I look behind Saber as we leave, and see that the nurse's office is trashed. The table is slashed in two and a chair is shattered. There is also some broken glass and there are papers scattered everywhere. I look up at the culprit behind the mess and let out an exasperated sigh.

Oh man… Sakura is going to be so pissed…

* * *

><p><strong><em>Memories burned into your mind.<em>**

**_A repressed truth…_**

**_A moment engraved for all eternity…_**

**_You begin to breathe once more…_**

**_Will you find your calling sometime,_**

**_or will you just disappear?_**

**_The Sin…_**

**_and it's punishment._**

* * *

><p>Remember that your wonderful reviews keep me motivated to keep writing. :D<p> 


	10. Emeritus (Veteran)

**A/N: The poll on whether I will choose to take on Rani or Rin as a sidekick is still on my profile. So far the score is:**

**Rin:19**

**Rani:15**

* * *

><p><strong>Week: 2<strong>

**Days Remaining: 4**

**Midday [Private Room]**

When I open my eyes I notice that my body feels much lighter than yesterday. I get out of bed and stretch my arms. It almost feels like my body was never poisoned in the first place.

I look around the room, but there is no sign of Saber. I find that odd because he is always there to greet me when I wake up. I look at my Terminal and see that it is already midday. I wonder if he took this opportunity to sleep in for once. I walk over to Saber's curtained off side of the room.

"Hey, Saber, are you awake?" When I don't get a reply for several minutes I pull the curtain aside. I'm actually surprised that there is no sign of Saber. I then realize that this is the first time I have seen what Saber has done with that side of the room. There is a pile of neatly stacked chairs and desks, and on the floor is what could be best described as a futon made out of several cardboard boxes.

Right now I'm perplexed about where Saber could possibly be. As I think about where Saber could be, a thought comes to mind. It's about the strange dream I had while I was in the nurse's office. This is the second strange dream I've had involving Saber. The first time, I got a glimpse of what Saber looked like without his helmet, even though I have never seen Saber's face before. The second time, Saber was with a woman that I have never seen before. I can't help but wonder if these dreams have any special meaning.

Just as I'm pondering about what to make of everything, I hear the door behind me slide open. I turn around to find Saber walking in. when he sees me, he takes off his helmet.

"Welcome back, Saber. Where have you been?" I'm not angry or anything. I'm just curious about where he went to.

"My apologies for making you worry, Lady Ailita. Early this morning, Miss Sakura stopped by and… requested that I clean the nurse's office and repair any damaged furniture." Considering how much of a disaster area the nurse's office was when we left it, I can imagine that Sakura didn't just politely ask Saber to clean up the mess. "You were still asleep when Miss Sakura came by, and after yesterday's events I thought it would be best for you to get as much rest as possible." That's just like Saber to be considerate of my health.

"How are you fairing now? Please let me know if you are in any pain." His face is stoic, but I can hear the concern in Saber's voice as he waits for my reply.

"I feel like nothing was wrong with me in the first place." I give him a reassuring smile. Saber lets out a relieved sigh.

"I am truly relieved to hear that. However, I wish that you would not exert yourself."

"Don't worry. I feel fine." Despite my protests, Saber still looks concerned. I decide to just change the subject. "By the way, did I miss anything while I was passed out in the nurse's office?" I was unconscious for nearly a day, so I might have missed something.

"A few interesting events transpired while you were unconscious. For starters, you had a number of visitors who were worried about your health. Including Miss Tohsaka." I couldn't believe what I just heard.

"Huh…? _Tohsaka_ came to see me?" That bit of news was shocking. I thought that she couldn't care less what happened to me.

"Yes. I also now know that her Servant falls under the Lancer class, and I know what he looks like." He managed to get a good look at her Servant? More importantly, why did Tohsaka bring out her Servant in the first place?

"Tohsaka didn't try to kill me in my sleep like Archer did, did she?"

"No. I assure you that Miss Tohsaka did not intend to cause you any harm during her visit." That's a relief. At least I know that as much of a pragmatist Tohsaka is, she won't try pulling a stunt like Archer did. There was something that confused me though.

"Then why did she bring out her Servant?" Saber seemed slightly irritated when I mentioned Tohsaka's Servant.

"Lancer materialized by his own will. He… did not intend to harm you in your weakened state the way Archer tried to. He was merely accompanying his Master." I feel like Saber is leaving something important out. I shoot him an accusatory glance.

"Saber… You didn't get into a fight with him, did you? Is that how you found out he is a Lancer class Servant?" I understand that Saber can be protective, but the last thing I need is for him to pick a fight with another Servant and get a penalty.

"I assure you that I have done nothing to be ashamed of. Miss Tohsaka revealed the class of her Servant when she called him by his class." He has a serious expression on his face. I can tell that he is telling the truth.

That aside; from what Saber is saying, Tohsaka wasn't the only person to stop by the other day.

"Did anyone else drop by?"

"Yes. Miss Rani also came to visit you shortly after Miss Tohsaka left. Like Miss Tohsaka, she too was concerned for your health." So, Rani came by too. I guess it makes sense for her to want to check on the person she tried to make a deal with.

"She didn't bring out her Servant, did she?"

"No, she did not. However, I gave her one of the arrows that Archer shot for her to use as a relic."

I'm then reminded of the nature of Rani's deal. She offered to tell us more about Dan and Archer. I think about Rani's offer. I'm still suspicious about the offer. For all I know, she could be setting us up for something.

However, after seeing Dan's act of generosity last night, I think I have more hope in the goodness of others. Dan used one of his Command Seals to help his enemy when his Servant used underhanded methods. After seeing another Master go that far, I'm now more confident that I can trust Rani.

"Did anyone else come to visit?"

"No, Miss Rani and Miss Tohsaka were the only ones who came to see you."

At least now I'm caught up on everything that I might have missed while I was knocked out the other day.

"Alright then. Let's go, Saber. We have to make up for all the time we wasted yesterday." Saber simply nods and puts his helmet back on as we leave the room.

* * *

><p><strong> [1<strong>**st**** Floor]**

As I walk around the campus, I notice that I'm the talk of the school about how I was attacked on campus. There are a number of Masters that are amazed that I'm still alive after being poisoned by a Servant. Some people say this gave their opponents the idea to try the same thing

While I was walking around, I noticed Taiga Fujimura, so I decided to just get her errand over with and give her the glasses she asked for.

"Ms. Fujimura, I found those glasses you were looking for." As soon as she notices me, a big grin appears on her face.

"Ah! You actually found them! Thank you so much. You really helped me out! Wait here a second. I'll go get you your reward!" Taiga puts the glasses in her pocket and runs off.

"How do you think she intends to reward us for our efforts?" I hear Saber's voice from behind me.

"I honestly have no idea…" If I know Taiga, it's going to be something pretty random.

After standing around for a while I hear someone grunting as if they are carrying something heavy. When I turn towards the noise, I see someone carrying a potted persimmon tree. The tree is much taller than the person carrying it, and there are some small persimmons growing from the branches. When I look closer I see that the person carrying the persimmon tree is Taiga. I also notice that her clothes are slightly dirty. She then stops in front of me. From the way her arms are shaking, I can tell that the tree must be heavy.

I hope that's not what I think it is…

"As a token of my appreciation, allow me to present to you this fabulous decorative plant!" My fears are confirmed. Her voice is slightly strained as she plops down the small persimmon tree. It lands with a loud thud. It's a wonder the pot didn't break. She then steps in front of the tree and stands there wordlessly with her arms crossed and a smug look on her face. I know that she is just waiting for me to lavish her with praise for her _fabulous_ present.

"Um… Thanks a lot for the plant…" I give her a wry smile. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised about this gift considering that this is _Taiga_ we are talking about.

"You're welcome!" She certainly seems pleased with herself. "If you keep up your good work, I'll keep on giving you even more cool stuff! Bye-bye!" Without leaving any room for protests, Taiga dashes off.

Wait… does this mean she plans to make me do _more_ errands for her in the future? I let out an exasperated sigh as I take a good look at the plant that I'm now stuck with. I'm pretty sure that persimmon trees are not meant to be used as decorations. At least it looks healthy.

I bend down and try to lift up the tree myself. That doesn't work out well because I can't even get it to budge. How Taiga managed to carry this is beyond me. After giving up on trying to lift it myself, I manage to push it towards the stairs.

However, there is still one small problem. My room is on the _second_ floor, and I'm on the _first_ floor. With no other option, I try once again to lift the tree up. I still can't get it off the ground. Just as I'm about to give up, I manage to lift the tree off the ground as if it was as light as a feather. I guess all I had to do was really try.

"I wish that you would ask for my help during times such as this. All you have to do is ask, and I shall offer you my assistance in any way I can." I look around the plant, and realize that the reason that the plant is off the ground… is because Saber is the one holding it up. It looks like something like this is no problem for him.

"Thanks, Saber." I hadn't even thought of asking him for help. "It's just that you are the one doing all of the fighting. I thought I shouldn't be giving you more work like this." I'm sure that looking after me is a hard job by itself. I'm also not sure it's a good idea for Saber to be walking around in his physical form. I take a quick look around. At least it doesn't look like there are any other Masters around.

"Nonsense. A task such as this is not a problem for me." He takes a few steps up the stairs and stops. "However…" He seems slightly hesitant. "May I request your assistance in directing me back to the room? I am currently finding it difficult to see in front of me." I guess he is having a hard time seeing what's in front of him because the tree's branches are blocking his view.

"Sure. No problem." I didn't even realize I was smiling at the idea of him asking me for help.

* * *

><p><strong>[Private Room]<strong>

We manage to get the persimmon tree to our room and put it in a spot where it should get plenty of sunlight. I take a look around the room. With a plant and a lamp in the room, it's now starting to look like a place you could live in.

"You truly have a wonderful instructor to receive such a generous gift for such a small task." I think Saber might have the wrong idea about Taiga.

"I'm actually wondering where exactly she got this thing from." And what random stuff she might give me in the future.

"I may have an idea. There are some small trees in the garden near the chapel that resemble this one." I have a face-palm moment. So, in other words… Taiga dug up one of the trees in the garden, put it in a pot, and decided to give it to me…

Well… That's one mystery solved. At least she had good intentions. I just hope I don't get into any trouble for this…

* * *

><p><strong>Evening [Library]<strong>

After we find a place in our room to put Taiga's gift, I decide to do some research while I have the chance. The first thing I look up is the _Yew Bow_ that Dan mentioned the other day. Before long, I have a pile of books as I sit down at a nearby table.

_-About the Yew Bow-_

_A short bow made from yew. Considered sacred by the Celtics, using the bow is thought to signify that one has 'become one with the forest'. _

I'm not sure how much this information will help me, but at least this is better than nothing. I stretch my arms as I stand up. A certain person suddenly comes to mind.

"Maybe I should go see Tohsaka, and thank her for visiting me earlier." I'm really surprised that Tohsaka would care at all.

"I would advise against it, Lady Ailita. Miss Tohsaka actually requested that I not to tell you of her visit." I guess she would be embarrassed to find out that one of her potential enemies knows she has a soft side.

Since visiting Tohsaka is out, the only thing left to do is head to the Arena to train.

* * *

><p><strong>Week: 2<strong>

**Days Remaining: 2**

**Midday [Chapel]**

For no real reason, Saber and I head out to the chapel gardens. I see Dan walk inside the chapel. With my curiosity getting the better of me, I decide to follow him.

I look around to see Dan Blackmore. Noticing my presence, he turns around to face me. Saber immediately materializes beside me. He doesn't have his sword, but I'm sure that Saber is prepared to fight if he feels I'm being threatened. Despite Saber's appearance, Archer is nowhere to be found.

"You… I would like to apologize again about what Archer did the other day. At least it was a silver lining that the wound did not affect your life too much." He gives me an apologetic bow.

"Umm… Don't worry about it. So, is Archer with you now?" I know that Dan used a Command Seal to prevent Archer from attacking any Master on campus, but I still can't help but be cautious.

"No, he isn't. I'm honestly not sure where he is at the moment. However, I'm sure he is still upset about me using a Command Seal."

Saber then decides to break his silence.

"Sir Blackmore, I am truly grateful that your actions have saved the life of my Master. However, I am still perplexed that you would go so far as to use a Command Seal to aid your enemy."

"Yes. I have been questioning my actions as well. To use one of the three Command Seals given to me to help my enemy, of all things…"

Command Seals… Three irrefutable commands given to all the Masters in the Holy Grail War. If it's within the rules, they will guarantee that the Servant will carry out that command, whatever the cost.

"But it was the right thing to do. Also, I'm here on behalf of her Majesty, the Queen. It has been a long time since… No, I believe that this is the first time a fight has been for personal reasons. As a mere soldier, I'd have praised Archer for his actions. As a knight, I must condemn them. And as I did, I could almost feel as if the spirit of my late wife approved, and was proud of me."

So he had a wife. His eyes now seemed clouded with a sad nostalgia.

"It's the same story every old man has. It's been so long I've even forgotten the sound of her voice. I can't even recall her face… It's an obvious truth. As a soldier, one is required to abide by military regulations. There are no allowances made even for one such as myself to go beyond what is permitted."

He then looks into my eyes. He seems almost disappointed.

"It seems you are still lost. Reflect on how you ought to live." He then pauses for a moment. As if remembering something from long ago.

"Let me tell you an old story… There was once a man I met with the same eyes as yours. It was during a certain battlefield mission. And there, in the rubble, on a mound all alone was a young man in a white coat. The young man was a doctor. The man would try to help anyone he could. And then, he was bitter for those who didn't survive in the warzone. I was interested in this young man with no name, and asked him a question. 'Why is a person like you in this hell hole?' He then told me, 'It might be better not to know _why._ To not know the true nature of war is to deny the very existence of war. What is the point of war? I must know.'"

I just stand there quietly as I listen to Dan's story. Saber has been standing next to me the entire time.

"That was all he said. When I see you, I think of that young man. It was a conversation of days gone by. In order to win, it is not only to fight by military regulations, but to face battle and the others in the trenches." He then gives me a stern look and puts his hand on my shoulder.

"Young girl, if you are still lost, then it would be best to become acquainted with this war. The path you take may be harsh, but eventually will come to bear fruit. Listen well, do not feel ashamed in the deeds done, but carry on for the future. That is the key to unlocking one's self. You should also keep this in mind. The ends don't always justify the means. Regret is an insidious thing. If you let it, it will blind you to the future and all it holds. So know this, young girl. I will never condone any conduct that would stain my conscience."

Dan takes his hand off my shoulder and pauses for a moment.

"Well, this isn't like me. It's odd that I'd speak like this to you. To carry on such an uninteresting conversation. You'd do well to laugh at the musings of this old man."

Nothing more came from what seemed to be an apology of sorts. With that said, the old man sits down and closes his eyes. It'd be the worst form of bad manners to disturb him while he's praying. It'd be better if I just leave.

* * *

><p><strong>[Garden]<strong>

We then leave the chapel. I sit on a bench near the fountain and go over everything that Dan said. To be proud of the life I have lived… How would it turn out if I got ahold of the Holy Grail? And beyond the journey itself, the path to the Grail lies in dignity and self-respect. The problem is that I don't have a wish to offer the Grail. The only reason I entered the Grail War was so that I could live.

Suddenly, Saber materializes in front of me.

"I withdraw my previous opinion of Sir Blackmore. He has proven that he truly does have the spirit of a knight." Saber actually sounds happy about this. "I was also impressed with your actions, Lady Ailita." I look up at Saber with a confused expression.

"Huh…? What did I do?" All I did was stand there and listen to Dan's speech. I didn't do anything that deserved praise.

"I was impressed by your generosity to forgive your enemy, even after they attacked you." I think that Saber is seriously overthinking this.

"W-Well… Technically Dan didn't do anything wrong. It was Archer who attacked me without Dan's permission." Although, I'm actually a little embarrassed by Saber's flattery.

"Regardless of that, Sir Blackmore was the one who failed to keep his Servant in check. Regardless of Archer's Independent Action Skill, it was Sir Blackmore's responsibility to make sure that his Servant follows the rules." I perk up at the new term Saber used.

"I don't mean to change the subject but, what's an _Independent Action Skill_?"

"Forgive me. I did not realize that you were unaware of this information. Allow me to explain." Saber paused for a moment. As if thinking of how to explain everything to me. "Servants under the Holy Grail War system are attributed with various Personal Skills that reflect the abilities they had in life, or sometimes the Servant will gain a Class Skill, depending on which class the Heroic Spirit is summoned as."

I was once again reminded of just how little I know about the Grail War. In a place where information could mean life or death, I guess I should know as much as possible.

"What's the difference between a Personal Skill and a Class Skill?"

"Class Skills are skills that are granted certain classes upon summoning. They generally reflect the abilities that they had in life, but they will not always have had the corresponding skills. Even if the Heroic Spirit did not have the abilities in life, they will still get a lower ranked version of the skill automatically if they fit the class. However, if the Servant already has a certain skill, it would be increased. Ani-Magic for example. I had some resistance to magic to begin with, and being allocated to the Saber class made it even higher."

"Does that mean that Independent Action is a Class Skill?"

"Correct. Independent Action is unique to the Archer class, and is the ability to remain independent even when rejecting the mana supply from the Master. It is both useful and troublesome depending on the disposition of the Servant and the rank of Independent Action. Acting in autonomy from the Master's mana supply, the Master can concentrate their own mana on large spells, or the Servant will be fine even in the case the Master cannot supply mana due to injury. The downside is that the Servant can be harder to control. Archer's attack on school grounds was the unpleasant side of that skill."

So Archer class Servants are free from their Masters to a certain degree. It's kind of like how snipers act on their own. Considering that Dan used to be a sniper, it's kind of ironic how poorly he gets along with Archer.

"What about Personal Skills?"

"Personal Skills are those displayed by the Heroic Spirit during life. They can use these powers no matter what class they end up in."

It sounds like there is more to Servants than I could ever imagine.

"If you wish to know details about Archer's skills, then I would recommend looking at the Matrix section of your Terminal. It should allow you to look upon all known abilities of Servants in the War. However, the information is limited to what you discover. When you discover something new about a Servant, the information shall be recorded to the Matrix."

Curious about what Saber just told me, I take out my Terminal. Sure enough, there was a section that displayed information on Archer, and even on Rider. Everything in Rider's Matrix was filled in. Although, considering that I'll never be encountering her again, I turn my attention to my current opponent.

When I selected Archer, his picture appeared along with some of his skills.

**CLASS: Archer**

**MASTER: Dan Blackmore**

**TRUE NAME: ?**

Some of the spaces are blank, such as his parameters; there were a few sections that had some information in them. Some of his skills were listed, along with details about those skills.

**CLASS SKILLS**

**Magic Resistance : D**

_Cancels single-action spells. It also bestows magical resistance equal to that normally provided by a physical talisman such as an amulet._

**Independent Action : A**

Saber said that the higher ranked the Independent Action skill was, the more freedom the Servant has. I guess this explain it. The section listed as Personal Skills is left blank.

Another bit of information that caught my attention was Archer's Noble Phantasm.

**NOBLE PHANTASM: Yew Bow – Holy Bow of Supplication**

**Rank: D**

**Type: Anti-Unit**

_The wood used to make the yew bow wielded by this Servant was taken from a specific tree located in the forest he used as his base of operations. It has the power to identify and amplify any impurities (both physical and mental), causing them to explode with incredible force. Yew trees have many mystical and religious connections attributed to them by Celtic beliefs, and the act of making a bow from the wood of a yew was seen as a contract to 'become one with the forest.' It was also believed the yew trees served as a signpost for the deceased to guide them to the afterlife. It was this connection between the yew and death that caused this Servant to remark that he wanted to be buried where his final arrow fell. To nobody's surprise, it landed at the foot of the yew tree where he first got the wood to make his bow._

As I skim the information the Matrix is providing me, I notice that there is even a section on Saber. I guess the Matrix isn't just limited to enemy Servants.

**CLASS: Saber**

**MASTER: Ailita Furude**

**TRUE NAME: ?**

**CLASS SKILLS**

**Magic Resistance: B**

_Cancels spells with a chant below three verses. Even if targeted by High-Thaumaturgy and Greater Rituals, it is difficult for him to be affected._

**Riding: B**

_Most vehicles can be handled with above average skill. However, cannot ride the likes of Phantasm Races such as Monstrous Beasts._

**NOBLE PHANTASM: Knight of Honor - A Knight Does Not Die with Empty Hands**

**TYPE: Anti-Unit**

**RANK: A++**

_Rather than an overt weapon, it manifests as a "unique ability" retained by his body. Once Saber grabs hold of anything that can be even remotely conceptualized as a weapon by his own recognition with his gauntlets and he recognizes that he wishes to wield it, it instantly gains the property of "becoming his Noble Phantasm." Even control of other Servants' Noble Phantasms will instantly go to him should he grab hold of them. It can only be activated for objects recognized as a weapon. The ability allows for something as worthless as a piece of scrap iron to be turned into a spear or sword capable of damaging Servants and striking legendary weapons. He can make use of weaponry regardless of how it was created or its time of origin, allowing him to take control of anything from legendary weapons to modern weapons and machinery. The ability soaks the affected items with Saber's mana that permeates from his hands. They slowly change as they are tainted with his black color as dark lines invade the item and multiply like the veins on a leaf. The items, covered in a spider web pattern of black veins, look alien and repulsive compared to their normal forms._

_Modern weapons turned into Noble Phantasms will be greatly strengthened and have modified capabilities. He can give up the weapons at any time, returning them to their natural state, and immediately switch to another without any trouble. The weapons will stay under control for a brief moment after he lets off his grip, allowing them to be used as deadly projectiles. He is able to naturally control any weapon that he wields as if it were an extension of his arm and a favorite weapon with which he specialized in and polished his skills for many years. The items will be advanced to D rank Noble Phantasms, and if he takes another Servant's Noble Phantasm of a superior rank, its quality will be maintained while under Saber's control. Saber is able to freely catch and wield the weapons shot at him as if they were extensions of his arms, and use them to deflect volleys of weapons capable of completely destroying the surrounding area. _

I though Saber's Noble Phantasm was amazing to begin with, but seeing the details of how it works puts me at a loss for words. Saber mentioned that he had more than one Noble Phantasm. If his first Noble Phantasm is this impressive, I wonder what else he can do.

As I put my Terminal away I notice that the sun has begun to set. I didn't realize so much time had passed.

"Lady Ailita, I believe it is now time to see Miss Rani." With that, Saber disappears. That's right. I don't know how much Rani can help me, but I think I'd rather trust and regret than doubt and regret.

"Right. Let's go, Saber." I stand up and head for the third floor.

* * *

><p><strong>Evening [3<strong>**rd**** Floor]**

The sun has nearly set. I find Rani exactly where she said she would be at the end of the hall.

"Hi, Rani. I came like I promised." When Rani notices me, she gives me a polite bow.

"Good evening, Miss Furude. I give you my thanks for bringing me a relic of Sir Blackmore's, as I had requested. You came at an ideal time as I can read Sir Blackmore's star today."

She said she wished to learn more about people and humanity in general. But still, I wonder if what I'm doing now is really ok.

"Thanks again for your help. However, as a Master, I still feel uneasy having another Master help me." Especially when we might have to fight one another eventually.

"My professor's words are my guide. She told me specifically to learn about humans. So please put your mind at ease. You have nothing to worry about from me. Learning more about Sir Blackmore will help your cause as well, correct?"

While I'm still uneasy, Rani takes out one of Archer's arrows. She examines it carefully. She mumbles and then nods in understanding.

"With this…"

Brushing the object softly with her fingers, Rani closes her eyes and turns her face to the sky.

"The fate of which the stars speak, you can learn many things if you simply open your mind. The star which governs Sir Blackmore's Servant shines brightly in the heavens today."

To be honest, I have no clue as to what astrology is or what it's supposed to accomplish. She claims that today certain portents can be read in the stars, and I believe that she can see things about my enemy's Servant.

"I see myself in a… forest? It's deep, dark…"

Running her hand along Archer's arrow, the now entranced Rani begins speaking in a quiet tone.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Questions asked, answers given, fortunes told.<em>**

**_We search for an explanation of the past, a prediction of the future, and a way to cope with the present._**

**_But how do we know which questions to ask and which answers to believe?_**

**_There are those who would answer our questions with illusion._**

**_When words are inadequate, silence is the only honesty._**

* * *

><p>Recently I've been interested in Kamigami no Asobi, and all I can say is that how amazed I am at how much the character Thoth reminds me of FateStay Night Archer. I also think that the character Hades reminds me of Ailita's Saber in a way.

**❤ Remember that your wonderful reviews are what motivate me to write! :D **


	11. Superbia in Proelia (Pride in Battle)

**A/N: I'm sorry that this took so long to finish. Classes ended up taking up most of my time.**

**The poll on whether I will choose to take on Rani or Rin as a sidekick is still on my profile. **

* * *

><p><em>A forest can be seen. The forest is filled with dark green trees. There is a dirt road cutting through the forest. Looking closer, a large wooden cart can be seen stopped in the middle of the road. The cart is filled with large bags of grain and a few barrels.<em>

_Surrounding the wagon are the bodies of soldiers dressed in clothing from the middle ages. Some of them have arrows in their backs._

_One of the soldiers that are lying on the ground struggles to stand up. _

_"You… damn thief… Poisoning our drinking water is an act of cowardice…" The soldier then starts coughing and puts his hand to his mouth. When he looks at his hand, he sees that it is covered in blood._

_Suddenly, a young man in a dark green cloak appears out of the shadows with an arrow is pointed right at the soldier's face._

_"What are you saying, government dog? This food belonged to the villagers in the first place. Now, let me give you something for your worthless life."_

_The young man then releases his arrow._

_~/~_

_It's very… very dark…_

_~/~_

_A small village can be seen. From the poor conditions of the villagers it is clear that the people are going through hard times. _

_A small boy calls out to his father._

_"Father, there's a bunch of food in front of our house!"_

_Just as the boy said. In the center of the village was the supplies that had been on the soldier's wagon. Surrounding the supplies was a small crowd of villagers standing in awe of the mysterious gift. _

_"Thank goodness. With these we can plant crops in the fields."_

_"Now we won't starve to death in the winter."_

_"But, just who could have done all this?"_

_Sitting out of the villager's sight on a nearby rooftop was the young man in the green cloak. A smile forms on his face as he witnesses the villager's joy at his work._

_~/~_

_A group of soldiers on horseback ride into the village. One holds a wanted poster for the villagers to see._

_"Is this man really not one of your people?"_

_The fear of the solder's retaliation is evident on the villager's faces._

_"H-He is the thief who resides in the forest."_

_"T-That's right. That man has nothing to do with us."_

_Only a small boy tries to stand up for the village's savior._

_"But, Father, that person saved us." However, he was quickly shushed by his father._

_~/~_

_A life lived in infamy, constantly living in the dark…_

_No praise for the path he chose to walk down. A path mixed with bitterness…_

_The green outfit melds into the forest, and from the shadows he shoots one arrow after the other._

_~/~_

_The young man is now seen sitting against a tree. His breathing is labored, and blood is flowing from a wound on his side._

_"When I was a kid… I wanted to try being a knight…" He weakly mutters this confession. With shaking arms, he takes his last arrow, and shoots it towards the sky. _

_The arrow lands at the base of a giant tree at the center of the forest._

* * *

><p><strong>Week: 2<strong>

**Days Remaining: 2**

**Evening [3****rd**** Floor]**

"At this point, the memory comes to an end." With that, Rani opens her eyes and hands me the broken arrow.

As I take the arrow, I try to understand everything that Rani said just now. What I can gather from this is that Archer's way of life created a Noble Phantasm that would conceal him.

"It seems like Archer's life consisted of cowering in the darkness, shooting his enemies from afar. He seems totally at odds with Dan, who would fight with dignity and honor. Archer is a combat pragmatist that would resort to traps and poison if he thinks it will give him an advantage." That last part I learned the hard way.

"I agree. However, I think that there must be some sort of longing hidden deep within his soul. A desire to live an honest life, out in the full light and warmth of the sun." From what Rani says, we are dealing with a hero who wasn't accepted as a hero when he was alive. I wrack my brain trying to think of a hero out of legend who'd fit such a description. I start with those who are heroes because they are named so. Although, that'll take a while…

"I believe I understand him now. Archer wished to be acknowledged as a hero during life. However, instead of earning the praise of his people, he was met with their rejection." Saber almost sounds like he pities Archer.

Rani begins to speak again in the same quiet tone.

"This may not be the one that I am searching for… To say clearly, I'm not sure though. Longing, is the reason for this fissure. This is something told by my professor, a part of humans that I understand. Either way, I thank you for your assistance, Miss Furude."

"Yeah. Thanks for all your help, Rani."

After lowering her head in a bow and thanking me again, she once again turns her eyes to the sky.

With that, I make my way to the Arena to continue our routine training. As I do, I can't seem to take my mind off of my opponents. Dan and Archer really are a mismatched cog. I can't help but wonder if I'll be able to mesh with anything. With my Servant, or with all that's happening around me.

* * *

><p><strong>Week: 2<strong>

**Days Remaining: 1**

**Midday [1st Floor]**

Today is the last day before the Elimination Battle.

So far I have no major leads as to who Archer could be, aside from the Yew Bow and what Rani told us the other day.

Information gathering aside, this is still the last day for us to prepare for our fight with Dan. With no new leads to go on, all that I can really do is try to improve my fighting abilities. The battle experience between Dan and I are worlds apart. Because of this, anything I can do to improve my fighting skills might increase my chances of surviving this round.

With that in mind, I head for the Arena.

* * *

><p><strong>[Arena]<strong>

As soon as we enter the Arena, I notice that the air has more tension than usual. It looks like Saber can feel it too because he has his sword ready and he seems more alert than usual.

"Lady Ailita, I can sense the presence of our enemy nearby. After being given a penalty and the effect of Sir Blackmore's Command Seal, we should not expect another surprise attack. Regardless, it would be advisable to proceed with caution."

"Right. But I think we should find them to see just how accurate Rani's predictions are."

I really don't want to get into a fight with Dan and Archer if we can help it, but we need more information on Dan's Servant to have a better plan on how to deal with them.

* * *

><p>After about an hour of searching the Arena and defeating several Enemy Programs along the way, we eventually find two familiar figures standing in a section of the Arena that looks more spacious than normal. A slender man clad in green and the knight he serves. It can only be Dan and Archer.<p>

I don't really see the point in hiding at this point, so I just walk out into the open. They notice us right away. At least if a fight does break out, we don't have to worry about fighting in a small restricting space. When I stop, Saber keeps walking until he is standing in front of me. He still has his sword in his hand, but he is not in an offensive stance like he usually is. I guess that shows he wants to avoid a fight too.

"What do we do now, boss? They did appear right in front of us."

Saber suddenly changes his stance and looks prepared to fight upon hearing Archer's words. However, what Saber does next surprises me.

"So, do you plan to fight me in earnest this time, Archer? Or do you plan to continue hiding behind your petty tricks?" What is he thinking?! Is Saber seriously looking for a fight? The reason we tracked them down in the Arena was to gather information.

"You have no room to talk, Bucket-Head. You're the one that's hiding behind that creepy armor. Does your armor have some kind of curse, or special ability? Or is your face just too ugly to show us?" So, now Archer is resorting to trash talk. Saber doesn't seem at all affected by Archer's words as he stands there calmly. I also resent Archer's last comment.

"Because of my armor I have no need to worry about any arrow you shoot at me. You, on the other hand, would fall from a single strike from my sword. You should just go back to hiding in the shadows where a cowardly thief belongs." My eyes widen as I look at Saber in shock. I never thought that he would be throwing insults back at Archer.

"…!"

Saber's words seem to take Archer totally by surprise, as if his words touch his very core. For a moment, Archer's normally calm demeanor became incredibly flustered.

"What's wrong, Archer? Surely you know what the outcome of this battle shall be, should you choose to abandon your cowardly tactics. However, if you follow your Master's orders you might be able to die with the dignity you never had in life."

If Saber was just trying to provoke Archer, it's safe to say it worked. Archer's shoulders are shaking with anger and his eyes shine with malicious intent directed at Saber. As he reaches under his cape, I fear he may unleash his Noble Phantasm. Saber in turn looks prepared to fight back.

"Ha. Don't get too full of yourself, Bucket-Head! Alright. I'll hide myself just as you asked. Now experience the slaughter of the Sherwood Forest!" In his anger, Archer has revealed to us an important piece of information. But right now I'm more worried about a fight breaking out. Archer takes out his crossbow and looks prepared to take on Saber. He loads an arrow and aims directly at Saber.

"Calm yourself, Archer! For you to be provoked that easily. Your behavior is completely out of character." The only thing that stopped Archer from attacking us is Dan's stern voice. Archer lowers his bow.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. …Sir Bossman, your orders are kind of a pain in the ass, you know?" Archer's apparent dislike for Dan's methods seems to grow each time they speak to each other." You do realize who I am, don't you? And you're still asking me to fight toe-to-toe. Are you drunk or something?"

"You wish to complain? Is your prowess as a hunter so dependent on the power of the Faceless King?"

The Faceless King? I can't help but ponder what that could mean as Dan and Archer continue to argue. They don't seem to be paying any attention to Saber and I.

"Ah… no… well, I mean… Even I get nervous around that, okay? I do have pride in my archery skills, though."

"Then fight with that in mind. A sniper such as myself would know more than anyone else about your skills. And what I know would send chills through most people. I have confidence in you, Archer." Archer still looks annoyed.

"It's not like I have a choice. I disapprove of all of this, but I will obey. You are my Master, after all. Hahaha. Although, I really don't get it. If you take away the element of surprise, what else is there left for me? My looks maybe? My sweet, handsome face? Alas, its powers don't seem to work on a certain tenacious little Master." Archer turns his gaze towards me and winks as he says that. I just glare back at him. Dan also looks at Archer with disapproval.

"Fortunately for me, I don't think Masters can get much weaker than this one. I rarely attack directly, but it shouldn't matter in this case." Archer sure sounds confident.

"Hold your tongue, Archer! Mock me if you will, but I shall not allow you to slander my Master any further. I shall make you regret your words. If you are going to pretend to be a knight, then at the very least try to grasp the concept of the word 'chivalry.' Know your place!" I'm touched that Saber would stand up for me. After hearing Saber's words, Archer seems genuinely furious now.

"And you're telling _me_ to know _my _place? Hey, little lady, you really need to put a muzzle on that rabid dog of yours. When it comes to regrets, I've already been down that road. Don't care anymore. Since I'm starting to get sick of hearing two people lecture me on how I should act, how about I just shut one of them up right now, Bucket-Head?"

Killing intent fills the air. Both Archer and Saber seem ready to fight. Archer points his bow at Saber. At the same time, Saber seems ready to charge at Archer.

"Archer, restrain yourself! I already forbid you to fight outside of the Elimination Battle!" Dan's angry voice seems to echo throughout the Arena.

"What the hell?! I already told you that I don't give a-!"

"I will not allow vulgar and petulant language, Archer! As my Servant, I wish for you to behave as a knight." Archer reluctantly lowers his bow and turns to face Dan.

"Ugh… You sure are suffocating, Mr. Boss Man. I know, foul play and stuff is a no-no. …Jeez, cut off my arms and legs already. Ever hear of these things people have called personalities? Well, if I have to, the best archers can shoot with their teeth… Ha, that's actually pretty hardcore! Alright, I'll be your knight in shining armor. I'm not so hot at being a knight, but I'm not too bad with a lance." Archer actually sounds optimistic for once.

"Excellent spirit. We are already en route to the next battlefield. Do not let your focus sway." For once Dan actually seems pleased with Archer's words right before they both leave with a Return Crystal.

Once we're sure that Dan and Archer have left, Saber relaxes a little as he lowers his blade. He then turns to face me.

"To think that we would learn of Archer's home: _Sherwood Forest_. I must admit that I am impressed by Miss Rani's accuracy. For one as young as her, her astrology readings are quite remarkable."

I'm about as impressed as Saber is. I really need to find some way to thank Rani later. This encounter turned out better than I could've hoped.

"Dan also mentioned something called _the Faceless King._ Do you have any idea what that is, Saber?_"_ Saber slightly bows his head.

"I apologize, Lady Ailita, but I do not know its meaning. However, with this new information, I believe we are closing in on Archer's true name. It would be best to look into this more when we return to campus."

"Right." While I was happy to find out something new about my opponents, I was also kind of surprised by Saber's method to get information out of Archer. I never thought someone like Saber would actually use _trash talk_ to make his opponent lose his temper. Oh well… Whatever his methods, at least it worked. The truth is that I didn't really have a plan when I went looking for Dan and Archer.

I guess if you really want to get to know someone, you should find out what makes them angry.

* * *

><p><strong>Night [Private Room]<strong>

Right after we exited the Arena, I made a stop at the Library before it closed for the night. When I talked to one of the NPCs working there, she said that I could just take the books I want back to my room.

With everything quiet on Saber's side of the room, I just lie on the bed and read the books I checked out. The dim light from the lamp Taiga gave me aluminates the pages.

_The Faceless King:_

_According to Celtic tradition, during the festival of Beltane people pray to the spirit of the forest, Jack of the Green, for the arrival of spring. _

_Sherwood Forest:_

_A forest located near Nottingham, England. It is a dense forest of ancient oak trees where at one time thieves were said to inhabit its depths._

I'm not exactly sure how this new information will help me fight Archer, but now I think I'm sure what his true identity is. Archer spent most of his life helping people, but all he got in return was betrayal. He was always in the dark and wanted to stand in the light for once.

Suddenly, Saber's words from when we first met come to mind. _'I am the alienated, the ridiculed, the despised. No need to praise my name. I am the shadow under the radiance of heroic spirits.'_ I turn my gaze to Saber's side of the room. I can't help but wonder if the Heroic Spirit I find myself allied with shares a similar bleak history filled with regrets.

As I try to follow this line of thought, my eyelids start to grow heavy. I should go to sleep now. If I'm tired tomorrow it might affect my battle performance, and I need all the help I can get.

* * *

><p><strong>Week: 2<strong>

**Days Remaining: 0**

**ELIMINATION BATTLE**

**Morning [2****nd**** Floor]**

The day I have been dreading has finally come. Not knowing what else to do, I walk into one of the empty classrooms for some quiet to calm my nerves.

Thanks to Rani, I learned that Archer made his home in Sherwood Forest. I now have no doubt about the true name of my opponent. Even with his true name, and taking into account the discord between Master and Servant, can I win? Our Servants are pretty evenly matched, so if I can step up my game as a Master…

I take out my Terminal and look up Saber's parameters:

**Strength: C**

**Endurance: C**

**Agility: D**

**Mana: E**

**Luck: E**

At least I made some progress from the first round. I take a look at Archer's profile on the Servant Matrix.

**Strength: C**

**Endurance: C**

**Agility: B**

**Mana: B**

**Luck: B**

**N. Phantasm: D**

In terms of physical abilities, both Servants seem to be evenly matched. However, Archer's specialty is long range attacks. Saber might have an advantage in a close range fight.

While I was so preoccupied looking at my Terminal, I failed to notice when someone walked up behind me. When the person behind me speaks up, I was so startled that I nearly dropped my Terminal.

"Today is the Elimination Battle. I trust your preparations went smoothly?"

I turn toward the voice coming from behind me. He wears the clothes of a priest, which in the end only makes snide tongue of father Kirei Kotomine more jarring. Without waiting for my reply he continues talking.

"Come to the first floor when you are ready. You can do something trifling like stop by the Commissary if needed."

Apparently finished, he opens the door and lets himself out.

I stand there for a moment contemplating on what I should do. I figure that not much I do at this point will make a difference for my upcoming battle. Although, just to be on the safe side I'll head to the Commissary one last time.

* * *

><p><strong>Evening [Elevator]<strong>

I'm glad I stopped by the Commissary before coming here. I managed to find something that should be perfect for dealing with Archer.

When I entered the elevator on the first floor, I noticed that the interior of the elevator is exactly the same as it was for Shinji's round. There is a glass wall separating Saber and I from Dan and Archer. So far nobody is saying anything, and the silence is getting somewhat awkward.

"…" Dan just stands there with his usual composure.

"Sir Dan Blackmore, I look forward to our battle. Let us fight honorably and with pride." Saber was the one to break the silence. Dan did not say anything, but he gave a small nod in a quiet reply. He actually seemed pleased with Saber's attitude.

Archer, on the other hand, just looks at Saber with contempt as he steps forward.

"What's the point of talking to someone who's about to jump into their grave? Although, I'm about ready to chew my arm off to get away from grumpy here. The guy doesn't even fart without a purpose. I've given up trying to make small talk with him." Archer then turns his attention to me. "Hey, little lady. Why don't YOU try talking to Grumplestiltskin over here?"

I turn my attention back to Dan. I guess it wouldn't hurt to humor Archer. The main problem is that I have no idea what to talk to him about.

"Uh… So, tell me, Sir Blackmore, why do you fight?" I just chose the topic at random. I didn't even think he would give me an answer.

"There is no _why_ in war. Once one enters the battlefield, they only fight to achieve their objective. A soldier does not need-no,_ cannot_ have a reason to fight. That is how things were when I was a soldier. Though my life has changed much since that time, I have never needed a _why._" And with that, the conversation comes to an end.

"Don't you hate it when you're right? Like I said, the guy's a steel trap. Thanks for at least trying to pry him open, little lady."

"I actually admire Sir Blackmore's composure before a battle. He has my respect. Because of that, I truly pity him for being partnered with such a dishonorable Servant. This pair would truly be one to be feared if the role of Master and Servant were reversed." From Saber's tone it seems like his dislike of Archer rivals that of his dislike for Shinji.

"I wish! My Master's so straitlaced that an atypical Heroic Spirit like me gets tied up in knots. I'll let you in on a little secret. Not all of us Legendary Souls were noble in life. That would be boring. Oh, and on that note, Bucket-Head, be careful your Master doesn't get nailed from behind AGAIN." Archer says that with a sarcastic sneer on his face.

"I assure you that not a single one of your arrows shall touch my Master. Although, given your fighting style, it seems as though you would be more suited for the Assassin Class. I myself would never degrade myself by using such underhanded tactics. Lady Ailita is also the same way." Slightly embarrassed by the faith that Saber has in me, I look away.

"Heheh, what's this domestic strife I'm sensing over there? You don't care for surprise attacks, little lady? How far is too far? No foul play? No dirty tricks?" I was unprepared when Archer turned his attention to me.

"Well… I guess it depends…?" It's not like I don't understand Archer's reasoning. As weak as I am, I really have to put reason before honor.

"That's the spirit. A clever person can turn anything into a weapon. This is gonna be a good fight!" Archer's face brightens up slightly.

"Don't get carried away, Archer. " Archer looks miffed as he turns his attention back to his Master.

"You call that getting carried away, Master?"

"Hmph. You are plundering our enemies for entertainment right before the battle. Yes, I consider that to be excessive."

"Well, I don't see anything wrong with wanting to chat with a cute girl. If you don't like it, then go borrow Bucket-Head's helmet and drown out the sound. But, I WANT to talk to our enemies. Why don't you listen in? Learn what kids these days are into. Cuz if you get any more ancient, they'd have to put you in a museum."

"…Your poorly-phrased advice is duly noted, but mutual understanding will come on the battlefield."

"Haha! You have no idea how to have fun! With all this killing, killing, killing, a guy's gotta unwind. A bowstring that's wound too tight snaps. Isn't that right?" Archer once again turns his attention to me. I really wish that he wouldn't get me involved with their arguments.

"I guess I have nothing against having fun."

"Right? Life's hella hard, and then you die. If you don't enjoy yourself then you'll just die miserable."

"…Will you never gain the proper attitude to fight?" I'm not sure if Dan is talking to me or Archer.

"Lighten up, Master! Things would be so much easier for us if you just accepted life has funny parts. I'd go Wh-tsh! On that undefended back of yours. That's how an archer should fight. I have to be nimble on my feet. Chivalry and ideology are all stiff and would just slow me down."

"…Listen, Archer. You will fight as I direct." This time Dan's words have force behind them.

"Ugh, not again. Fine, fine. I get it. Your wish is my command. Argh, that's my Master for you. He can't keep his chivalry in his pants even with a kid like you around. …I just wish he understood that not everyone can take pride in their lives…" Archer sounds somewhat depressed as he says that. "Oh well, nitpicking at every little thing isn't going to defeat our enemies. Although, I guess it's fine. I'm used to adversity after all. I'll follow along obediently without a single complaint." Despite what he said, Archer's words are void of any enthusiasm or motivation.

"Archer, just my opinion, but isn't what you just said generally considered to be a complaint?" Saber finally breaks his silence.

"Eh? Ah, yep that's right. You've got me there, Bucket-Head." Archer says sarcastically. Dan just gives an exasperated sigh.

A sudden rumbling snaps me out of the spell my opponent's words had put me under. We're at the battlefield. The time to fight a warrior of unparalleled determination has come.

"Let us go, Lady Ailita. The time has come to embrace the battlefield once again."

* * *

><p><strong>[Second Chimeric Lunar Sea]<strong>

The battlefield for this round is different from the first round. The battlefield this time is a vacant city full of old tall stone buildings. I'm not sure exactly what era they are from, but if I had to make a generous guess, they seem to be from medieval Europe. However, just like with the first round, the battlefield appears to be submerged underwater. A sunken city.

Unfortunately, I didn't have time to appreciate my surroundings. Almost as soon as we entered the battlefield, Dan and Archer managed to get to higher ground on top of one of the buildings. Now that they are on higher ground, all I can do is run for my life as Archer's arrows rain down.

While I'm running for my life, Saber is right there with me deflecting any arrows that I can't dodge. It looks like Saber isn't making the same mistake as before, because none of Archer's arrows have been able to touch me. However, while I'm relieved that Saber can block Archer's arrows, our situation is not improving.

"Saber, how long do we have to keep this up? We can't keep running forever." We have to find some way to go on the offensive. We keep gaining distance, and since Saber's fighting style is close range combat, things won't get any better unless we can find a way to get closer without getting shot.

"We have to find a way to close the distance between us and our enemy." Even Saber sounds slightly distressed.

"That's easier said than done. In this terrain they have the advantage, and there's no place for us to hide."

Suddenly, Saber stops running. He then stands in front of the stone buildings.

"Saber…?" I stop running and turn to face him, but he then motions for me to stop.

"I would advise you to stay back, Lady Ailita." Not sure what he is planning, I just do as he says and stand there quietly.

Saber then slashes his sword to the side and his sword actually smashes through some of the buildings. All I can do is stand in awe of Saber's strength. He is strong enough to shatter stone buildings with a single strike of his sword. However this now means that several of the buildings are now collapsing around us.

As the buildings collapse, some of the rocks fall towards me. I don't have time to dodge them. I close my eyes, hold up my arms, and brace myself for the impact… but it never comes. When I open my eyes, I see the rocks that were about to hit me on the ground. Most of them are cleanly cut in half.

Saber is standing in front of me with his back turned to me. One thing that stands out to me is that he doesn't have his helmet on.

"What happened to your helmet this time, Saber?" Saber turns around to face me.

"My helmet was knocked off when some of the rubble struck me." So, in other words, it got knocked off when part of the buildings _he_ destroyed hit him on the head. It's actually a little funny if I think about it. "That issue aside, are you unhurt, Lady Ailita?"

"Don't worry. I'm fine." I tell Saber as I brush some dust off my jacket. "But why did you destroy those buildings, Saber?"

He looks at me with a serious expression.

"This cloud of debris shall provide cover for us from Archer's attacks."

I look around and notice that he is right. With the dust cloud around us, Archer's assault of arrows have stopped. This could give us the chance we need to come up with a counter attack.

"Any suggestions on what to do now, Saber?" He turns toward the direction the arrows were coming from.

"Now, Archer will have to come looking for us. He cannot shoot what he cannot see. Also, considering that Archer has to resort to underhanded tactics to win, he must be lacking when it comes down to close range combat. As soon as we close that distance, I shall strike him down." Saber sounds confident.

Saber's plan makes sense. All we have to do now is wait for Archer to come closer to us. His skills are impressive, but if we stay where we are, I don't think he will be able to spot us.

"I guess killing time is what will determine the outcome of this battle." Archer doesn't seem like the patient type, so it probably won't take long for him to do something.

Just as I'm starting to relax, a green mist starts to fill the air. The very atmosphere sends warning messages screaming throughout my brain. However, I can't bring myself to move. It feels like both of my feet have been nailed to the floor. It's almost as if my body and mind have become disconnected and fear has taken over my basic instincts. I know that I have to get away as fast as possible. The longer I stay here, the faster that death will come to claim me. I know this feeling all too well.

"Is this... poison again?!" I immediately cover my nose and mouth.

I look around and see a large tree in the middle of the Arena. That tree wasn't there at the start of the battle. Magic flows from where the tree towers over the Arena. There is so much of it that those who are unprepared would drown in poison.

"Lady Ailita, are you alright?!" The sound of Saber's panicked voice brings me back to reality and frees up my previously paralyzed thoughts. I'm okay now. I can move my feet and hands.

"I'm just…" I suddenly start coughing. When I take my hand away from my mouth, I see that I just coughed up blood. This is really bad. Saber sees the blood on my hand and looks distressed.

"The entire area has been polluted. This has to be the enemy's Noble Phantasm. Clearly we can no longer stand around and assume our enemy will come to us."

While I'm concerned about my own health, there is something that worries me more.

"Saber, are you alright?" He doesn't turn to face me.

"Do not worry. I can still fight." I'm really worried about Saber. He may say that he's fine, but I can tell that he is feeling the effects of the poison just like I am. His brows are furrowed and his jaw is clenched. Even now he is putting on a brave face while he is in pain.

"Is there a way to stop this?" Saber looks toward the giant tree.

"I sense strange magic flowing from that tree. That should be the source of this poison. Once we destroy the source, the poison should subside."

Great plan, but there is just one problem. If we move from this spot and go try to destroy the tree, we will be vulnerable to Archer's arrows. We have to do something quickly or else we will die of hypoxia.

I then realize that I don't feel as sick as I did the first time I was poisoned. I wonder if it's because my body built up some kind of resistance due to dealing with the same poison before. Then I remember that I have something in my pocket. It is a small piece of wood, but I just remembered how great it's worth is right now.

I look at the piece of wood in my hand, and then at the poisonous tree in the distance.

"Saber." He turns to look at me. "I think I have a plan."

* * *

><p>I managed to get closer to where Dan and Archer are. They are standing on top of one of the stone buildings. Only a few meters away is the tree that's the source of the poison mist. Because they are both high off the ground the poison isn't touching them. I stay out of sight behind one of the nearby buildings. Saber, on the other hand is nowhere in sight. I'm close enough that I can hear what they are saying.<p>

"I wonder how long those two are going to hold out." Archer only sounds mildly concerned. He isn't even bothering to look for Saber and I.

Dan just remains stoic as ever. He seems to be lost in thought about something.

I then move from my hiding spot and step out into the open. From where I'm standing Archer can easily shoot me down. If my plan doesn't work then it's all over.

Archer notices me immediately and alerts Dan. Both of them seem shocked that I would walk out into the open without my Servant.

"She's by herself. That poison must've gone to her head to try something like this."

"There is no sign of her Servant."

"I guess that means Bucket-Head wasn't so tough after all. Even a little girl could last longer than he did."

Archer raises his bow, but before he can take a shot, Dan motions for him to wait.

This is my chance. I stand up straight and put on a brave face. I then let my voice carry.

"Dan Blackmore! You and I have matters to settle. You are an honest and proud man. As your opponent I…" I'm struggling to stand up straight. The poison is taking its toll on me, and they can clearly see it. But even so, I stand tall. "I want a clean fight! I don't want… any regrets!"

It looks like my declaration has struck a chord with Dan. He looks surprised for a moment, but then he nods his head in approval.

"It seems that you have finally cast away the hesitation in your eyes, Ailita Furude." Dan then steps down into the poison infested streets to accept my challenge. "Very well then, let it be war."

"What the hell, boss?! Are you insane?!" Archer cries out over his Master's irrational actions.

Despite my challenge, I know that I am no match for a war veteran like Dan. Even with us both on even grounds, I have been in the poison much longer than he has, so the one to fall first will be me. However… This is the chance I have been waiting for.

"SABER!" I cry out the signal.

"Understood!" Saber then appears out of hiding and slashes at the giant tree. Dan and Archer turn their attention to Saber, but they are too late to stop him.

All it takes is a single swing of Saber's sword to cut the tree in half. The destroyed tree vanishes, as if nothing had ever been there. The moment the source of the barrier disappears, so does the pressure and pain crushing my body. Some of the tension also drops from Saber's shoulders.

"Dammit! The barrier!" Archer voices his displeasure at having the tides of the battle reversed.

"How did you and your Servant manage to survive this long?" Dan turns to face me. Despite his shock, Dan keeps his composure.

I take out the small piece of wood in my pocket. It's called the Aromatic Wood. I got it during my last trip to the Commissary.

"In the Holy Grail War, the role of the Servant is to fight for their Master. Therefore, the role of the Master is to support the Servant. This item can be used by a Master to cure their Servant of poison."

I managed to use it by focusing on the wood to help cure Saber. Similar to how I helped free Saber in my battle against Shinji. After that, I came up with the plan to distract Dan and Archer while Saber destroys the poisoned tree. Saber was very reluctant at first to let me carry out such a risky role, but I eventually talked him into it. I did say that I wasn't against using tricks if they would give me an advantage.

Seeming content with my answer, Dan turns his attention to the two Servants.

Saber calls out to Archer, who is still on top of the building.

"Archer, the time has come for you to step out of the shadows and fight me in earnest! There is more to battle than simply slaying your opponent. When you fight, you also challenge with your convictions, values, and pride. Now, come at me!" Archer doesn't seem too impressed.

"You really think I'll buy those pompous words?! Do you think that someone like you could even begin to understand me?!" Archer's anger continues to flare.

"Calm down, Archer, I know of your strengths, and as my Servant I'd like you to conduct yourself as a knight. I have faith in you, Archer." I can hear the sincerity in Dan's voice. It also looks like his words have a positive effect on Archer for once.

"Alright. You don't need to use a Command Seal, Master." With an exasperated sigh, Archer jumps down from the building. Throwing away his green cape and bow, Archer then pulls out two daggers from his belt. I'm willing to bet that those daggers are also coated in poison. He stands a few meters away from Saber with a dagger in each hand. He has a determined look on his face.

"So, I take it that you are finally resolved to step into the light and face me, Archer" Saber stands there with his sword ready.

"Yeah. Whatever my unreasonable and proud Master wishes." There is no hesitation in Archer's eyes.

"Very well then. Martyr of Sherwood Forest, I shall deliver the _coup de grâce_ and put an end to your depressing life." From the look on Saber's face, it looks like he finally approves of Archer somewhat. I'm also starting to think better of Archer. He's more mature than I thought he was.

"I'M depressing? I don't want to hear that from a guy that has emo written all over his face, Bucket-Head." I take back that last thought.

"The time for talk is over, Archer. _En garde!_"

Now the real battle starts. Saber charges at Archer, ready to separate his head from his shoulders with the first swing of his sword. Archer ducks just in time and steps to the side. He then slashes at Saber's abdomen. However, his dagger can't pierce Saber's armor. Saber may be physically larger and stronger, but Archer has speed and agility on his side.

Saber retaliates by turning to face Archer and slashes his sword upward trying to hit Archer. It isn't fast enough to hit Archer, but it does slash one of his daggers in half when he holds it up in defense. If Saber's sword can destroy a building with a single swing, I can only imagine how much damage it will inflict if Saber manages to land a blow on Archer.

Before Saber can lower his sword, Archer quickly throws the broken dagger away and pulls out a hidden dagger from his belt. Taking advantage of Saber's opening, he thrusts his dagger at Saber's exposed head.

Saber looks caught off guard and Archer has a vicious smirk on his face, seeing that this fight is over.

Just as Archer's dagger is about to reach Saber's face, Saber takes one of his hands off his sword and catches Archer's wrist. Archer's smirk immediately disappears and the color drains from his face as he realizes the situation he is in. He tries desperately to pull away, but it's no use. Saber tightens his grip and I hear a sickening noise that sounds like bones breaking. The dagger in Archer's captured hand falls to the ground.

Saber then brings down his huge sword. Archer holds up his remaining dagger in a desperate attempt to shield himself. However, Saber's huge sword slices through Archer's tiny dagger. An expression of dread is on Archer's face.

_There is only one Heroic Spirit who was considered to be the hero of Sherwood Forest. That Heroic Spirit's name was…_

_Robin Hood._

Saber's huge dark sword delivers the finishing blow. It feels like I'm watching in slow motion as Archer's chest is slashed. Saber lets go of Archer's arm and backs away. With nothing to support him, Archer falls to his knees.

"…" I turn my attention to Dan Blackmore. He looks dazed. He's staring at Saber as if my Servant is some divine being.

"Impossible… How did we lose…?! My Master has more ability and more determination than your Master. So how…?" Archer says weakly as blood drips from his mouth.

At that moment, the orange wall that separates the victors from the defeated comes down. The sound of the wall coming down is similar to that of a condemned man's prison door slamming shut. Just as before, the limbs of my defeated enemies start to dissolve into darkness. However, unlike my previous opponent, Dan retains his composure as he confronts his fallen Servant.

"…No, Archer. It seems I still lacked experience. I doubted myself too greatly in this tournament. It seems having a reason to fight is not the same as truly believing in that reason. I never doubted my desire to be a warrior, but… that life has given me regrets. I wanted the Holy Grail to bring back my late wife. What a silly delusion. My whole life I praised myself for giving up my individual feelings and aspirations, like a good soldier. Only at the very end did I dare to have my own goals, and decide to abandon military life. I can't believe I was trying to fight as just a man… It was foolish of me to pit my pride as a knight against my feelings as a person… So foolish… I just wanted to get back what I had lost, before the end. But… I wonder which one I wished for. My late wife… or the person I was before I became a soldier…"

The elderly knight falls into silence. Both he and his Servant start to disintegrate. He then turns to face me.

"…But, I'm surprised in you. When you stood there in that sea of poison and called out to fight me, you had no doubt in your eyes. Even though you can't describe what it is yet, there must be something that gives you a purpose. My wish to bring back the dead was nothing to boast about. Though your trials are many, keep living, Ailita Furude. Your struggles will steel your determination. Now, I apologize that you have to see me like this, but… I am at peace in my defeat. Because, for the first time, I am the ground from which a youth with a bright future might grow."

His final smile was beaming. Dan Blackmore's expression was no longer stern, but kind and grandfatherly.

"…I'm sorry, Master. I knew I wasn't cut out for a fair fight. You needed someone better than a charlatan like me. …I'm so sorry. Another Servant wouldn't have failed you like this."

"No, I am the one to blame, Archer. Restricting your actions was selfish and damaging to your dignity."

"…Bit late for that now, Master. You have no idea the torment you've been putting me through. Why are you apologizing anyway? You're making me sound like a moron here. And why do you care about me? Whether we win or lose, I still vanish at the end. I mean, I did have a wish of my own, but I was more interested in having a good time. Gotta tell you, it's been rather boring to fight for you, Master." Despite Archer's words, there isn't a hint of anger in his voice.

As the defeated Master and Servant talk, the deletion covers most of their bodies now. Part of Dan's face is covered in black. It's only a matter of time now.

"There's something else to apologize to you for, Archer. A warrior's pride must have held no value to you."

"Hmm… As long as I don't have to do it every day, it's a decent change of pace. Boring as it's been, playing knight was a healthy thing for me to try, you know? …Well, although I was never given a chance, I've always wanted to try being a badass knight."

Archer looks down as if in embarrassment. He mumbles under his breath, as if he doesn't want us to hear.

"…So, really. Don't apologize. We had a good run, and there's nothing to be ashamed about. …Jeez, I didn't even think I'd be able to pull off a single battle in this stupid tournament. When I was alive, I wasn't rich or famous, I didn't have any friends. Although instead of reaching out for those things, I pushed them away. That's why this is fine with me. I finally got a fair fight and got to stand in the spotlight at the end."

Just as Archer said, it was the end. Moments later, he vanished. He looked at peace. He lived his life in the shadows, protecting his village without acknowledgment. In his final moments, it seemed that he had found a way to get beyond the bitterness he felt.

"…I'm sorry. Thank you, Archer." Dan then turns to face me. "Ailita Furude, could I trouble you to listen to the dying words of an old man?" Tears threaten to fall from my eyes, but I try my best to look strong.

"Of course."

"From here on out, no matter what enemy you may encounter or who you may have to defeat… Feel it. Think about it. Process it. Accept your doubts, but don't be crippled by them. Above all, accept the consequences of your actions, and turn all you learn and feel into strength. If you wait until then end to think, you'll end up with regrets. …And, if possible, I'd like you to get meaning from your battles. Through combat, find the reason you fight, and the reason you can't lose. Find your answers. It's your responsibility to have those answers when you survive this war. Do you understand, rising star? Don't… forget… "

To someone like me whose memories still haven't returned, and who holds but a vague desire to obtain the Grail, these final words from Dan were like those of a proud grandfather. This time I can't stop myself from crying as tears fall down my cheeks. As I wipe my tears, I feel a large cold hand on my shoulder. I look up and see Saber looking down at me with a sympathetic expression. I then wipe away my tears and look directly into Dan eyes.

"I understand. I'll do my best to find my reason for fighting… I'll do what I can to live my life without any regrets… And I'll never forget what you taught me… Sir Blackmore." Dan gives me a kind smile and nods in approval.

"Only at the very end of your journey are the mistakes you are responsible for brought into question. Until then, you have no reason to stand still. For that is the story of another certain knight I know too well." Dan then turns his attention to Saber.

"At least you have a strong and loyal knight to protect you until you find the answers you seek. In life your actions are what caused you to be branded as the worst knight, but from the valor and loyalty you have displayed it is also clear why you are also called the greatest knight."

Saber's eyes widen at Dan's words. As do mine.

"When did you figure out my true identity?"

"Some time ago. Your legend is particularly well known in my country. To think that I would have the opportunity to encounter someone like you during my quest for the Holy Grail. It has also been a great honor to earn your praise." Saber just looks away. He seems somewhat troubled about being praised and looks away.

Dan then raises his gaze to the sky and there is a far off look in his eyes.

"Finally… I'll be able to see her again. It's been too long, Anne…"

He whispers a woman's name… It is spoken in a hopeful tone. With his answer warming his heart, Dan Blackmore disappears.

This battle is over… However, there's a third round, and then a fourth, and so on. I'm still kind of lost. But, if that's the path before me, then I owe it to the lives lost so far to keep fighting. Right or wrong, that's one way to think about things.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Who is the culprit you ask?<br>Obviously the point of this story is to find that out_**

**_Who is the suspect, you ask?  
>Do you even know what the crime is?<em>**

**_Who is the culprit?  
>Who is the culprit who will kill me!?<em>**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I guess of all people, Saber would understand Dan's conflict between his duty and his heart.**

**One thing that would really help me is if someone would pick up where the last translator left off for the Fate/EXTRA manga.**

**❤ Remember that your wonderful reviews are what motivate me to write! :D**


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